October, my dearest love, you always whirl by too quickly. Almost everything about this season comes through like the best of hugs, full of warmth, love, and gentle yet earnest affection. My greatest solace is that the general autumn splendor is only at its start—I used to see November as a winter month, but it’s really not. Colors have barely begun to touch the trees.
What I Did
– Visited Greenbluff
– Endured Scarywood
– Had a wonderful friend visit!!
– SO MUCH BAKING
– Carved my first pumpkin
– Read lots, wrote lots
– Watched so many spooky movies
What I Learned
– The difference between Askers and Guessers
– Key principals to live by in How to Win Friends and Influence People
– That I really love classical music
– Making soup is easy
– Making stew is less easy
– Queen beds are life-changing
– Charles Dickens was not a concise man
How I Felt
October is my favorite month, which is interesting because it holds a few smarting anniversaries and events. Beyond those, though, there’s so much joy to be found. October is the month I was accepted into Praxis under a 5-7% acceptance rate, the month my future began to take a more solid shape, and it’s the month I do NaNoWriMo prep when I’m participating.
October hosts the ghosts of countless bright mornings at co-op and chilly evenings running around with the neighbor kids until we couldn’t feel our faces or were called home for dinner.
These past few weeks have been a whirlwind of work and house stuff, piecing together maintenance schedules and creating more functional spaces. It makes me laugh each time a solicitor or the like walks up to the door and asks if my parents are home, and I get to tell them I’m the homeowner.
I guess I’m at that age where miscellaneous people simultaneously believe me to be a young married woman when out and about, a 30-year-old when speaking over the phone, and a teenager when answering the door to my house. I don’t know how I manage to be all three of those people at once while being none of them, but these interactions never cease to amuse me.
So, in a nutshell, I’ve felt as I always do in the fall—nostalgic, motivated, and reflective. Curious about the new year while doing my best to make the most of the present.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you’re having a wonderful autumn!
Photos by Kenzie Bond 