An October Walk: Tuesday's Reflection

I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." 
                 Anne of Green Gables

                 L. M. Montgomery

Me too!








Most Sundays after church and then lunch at Turtle Bread Bakery where we read the New York Times, I head to the garret and make my lists for the week and then write my Tuesday post. This most recent Sunday afternoon, however, I abandoned the garret to enjoy the most beautiful of October days.

Come, walk with me!












Just as there may be an age when each of us comes into our own, I think there are seasons when homes and neighborhoods come into their own. As much as I love seeing everyone's gardens restored into new life in the spring and then grow into summer's fullness, this neighborhood seems born for fall. All it takes is a pumpkin or two to wrap a home in coziness. What may have even felt a bit drab and stuck in brown and beige becomes alive. 

I marvel at the color--and wonder if the person who dared to combine deep pink mums in a bright orange pot, has bright colored walls and upholstery inside the house as well, or does the awareness that winter white will soon dominate push a last gasp of deliberate and intense color?



















Speaking of gasps--what about the presence of ghouls and ghosts and skeletons in the neighborhood? I delight in the creativity, the time and effort all in the name of holiday and seasonal celebration. No one is paid for the planning and work involved, and yet here they are--these generous gifts of the imagination. 

Many neighbors are busy raking leaves, preparing the gardens for sleep, and others are walking dogs, scrunching through leaf-covered sidewalks. I pass a couple, older than me. We smile and greet each other and the man tips his hat to me. Now when was the last time that happened? So civilized, so polite. 

In the backyard of a corner home, a woman hangs laundry on the clothesline, and I can smell the freshness, almost the healthiness in the air. I pass other homes dominated by For Sale signs in their front yards and wish them well. Been there, done that! I hope the transition to the next season of their lives goes well.

This is a time to consider my inner change of seasons as well. The leaves are a kind of insulation, leading me into quiet, and as the leaves fall gently, but deliberately, there is an invitation to let go. To slow down. 

Monday morning, a cold and rainy morning, I returned to the garret where my To Do list waited for me. Waited for me patiently without judgment or punishment. How glad I am I enjoyed the most beautiful of October days.

"Anyone who thinks fallen leaves are dead has never watched them dance on a windy day."  Shira Tamir.

An Invitation
How does October live in you? I would love to know.