Catching Up!

Quoth the Raven. . .

Feeling very "witchy" this week!  Well, raven-y, anyway. . . Autumn is my favorite time of year. The summer heat is gone and the days are now temperate, though sitting on the deck in the morning now requires a sweatshirt and slippers.  The changing leaves invite me to walk in woods that are a riot of color.  The crickets and birds are quieter, squirrels are busy gathering walnuts and acorns, the hens have mostly stopped laying, and the dog and cats are shedding their summer coats and growing their winter ones.

Autumn makes me want to light a fire, bake bread and slow-cook comfort foods; and it's time to make apple dolls, and pick up the "warm" craft projects - like quilting and crocheting - that I put down at the end of Spring.   The Autumn world has a completely different feel than it does in winter, spring or summer; it's wonderful yet transient brilliance - reminds us that very soon things will be cold and gray for awhile. 

Samhain, the time when the veil between the worlds is thinnest, brings me thoughts of ancestors, both known and unknown.  Their spirits seem to whisper to me from the trees, and in the voice of the wind.   I look at binders full of genealogy charts and read the family's stories.  I put my ancestors'  pictures on my mantle and light candles for them, inviting them to come in and sit by the fire, share a meal, and be here with me in spirit just for awhile.  I talk to them a bit - just quietly - telling them I love them and miss them, and thinking about how they would answer the questions I ask them.  My Grove and I prepare for our Samhain ritual (the Celtic New Years' Eve); it's our time to remember the dead, reflect on the past year, and make plans for the future.  And of course there are all of the ordinary seasonal rituals too:  making Halloween costumes (this year, for three different occasions), collecting leaves and acorns to adorn the mantle, changing out summer clothes for fall ones, winterizing the house, and bringing the plants indoors.

These past few months have been busy, though not necessarily because it's Autumn.  I took most of August and the first half of September off to travel and spend time with family; including meeting my new grandson, who was born in Canada in early September!  Being a Grandma is a whole new thing for me, and I hope I can be as wonderful of a Grandma to him as my grandmothers were to me!  Unfortunately he's far away, but I vowed to do my best.  

In the second half of September, I spent four wonderful days camping in the Poconos with my fellow OBOD-ians and came back refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to make huge changes in my life.  Which I haven't made yet. . .but I'm hopeful that I will!

So far October has been mostly about looking for my next work gig and sitting on jury duty.  Now that I truly have an insider's view of how our Justice System works, about all I can say is "I'm glad I only have to participate occasionally, on jury duty;" "Why do some of these cases ever go to trial?" and "I'm glad it's over!" "Never again" would be nice, but in North Carolina, you can be called every for jury duty every two years.

The "Traditional Diet" I talked about last time is going well.  Since I started it about 3-4 weeks ago, I've mostly been focusing on German cooking, and have been enjoying homemade sauerkraut served with fresh bratwurst; meat pies; smoked salmon; root and leafy vegetables; and all varieties of delicious soups, stews, and sourdough breads.  I've lost about 3 pounds, and am feeling pretty well - though not exercising as much as I was a couple months ago, so I need to get back to that.

And my daily reminder that it's time to go for a walk has just popped up on my screen.  So, until next time!

Blessings,

Karen