These are my favorite months of the year: August~September~October~November. The golden, sunlight, deepening shadows, ripening fruit, showy blossoms, hum of insects and bats--I'm always happiest and most productive in late summer and fall.

Everywhere there are signs of the beautiful, holy circle, 'world without end'.

Jewel weed and goldenrod are beginning to bloom.

And the meadows are five feet tall and thrumming with life. 

Sometimes I like to leave little messages among the pebbles on the trail for people to find.

This is the first year that my pitiful little peach tree has borne fruit--there are four exquisitely blushing peaches.

For a few years, I wore my hair quite short, but for most of my life I've worn it long (for a period of twenty years I rarely had it cut.) But then, last year in March, I gave up haircuts altogether (too expensive). My hair hasn't seen scissors or a hair dryer in almost a year and a half. This is what it looks like now--my old witchy waves are back, threaded with silver.

If you want to know where I am, you can find me here: in the woods, tending my roses, swimming, exploring old towns, wading in the sea, sitting by a fire under the stars, painting messages on pebbles, searching for old postcards in the early morning light at the Flea. Perhaps where we are defines us more than anything else.

I came across this quote on Lis's blog (linked below under "West"--you must see her gorgeous nature journal!)

It’s all too easy to get stuck inside our own heads, to live out of our imagination. But the deep, honest, authentic ancestral wisdom we’re looking to reclaim is the wisdom of the land, the wisdom of place, and in order to develop that wisdom we need to get out of our heads and out onto the land.

 - Sharon Blackie, "Becoming Native to Place" from Reclaiming the Wise Woman

Yes, if you want to 'find yourself', get to know your neighborhood: the goldenrod, the birch, the little brown bat, the monarch butterfly, the lichen, the hill, the moon, the trail around the pond, the clouds and rain, the moss-covered boulder. There is much truth in knowing your place.

Need a compass? You might find these posts as inspiring as I did:

North
South
East
West

The last tree in our yard to shed its leaves is a Norway maple that turns bright gold in November. Its shining beauty greets me every morning. And when the wind blows, it sings a joyous song. 

The woods are especially beautiful now. Spending time among the trees, rocks, and water helps me to remember that the world is good. Yes, life brings disappointment and hardship, but there is always joy and goodness to be found. Cultivating a spirit of reverence and gratitude for all of life gives me the courage to face whatever lies ahead with trust and optimism rather than bitterness and despair. God provides a surplus of grace--plenty to share with everyone I meet.

What is grace? It is unmerited love; it is help and hope for the day.

 

November is a month of celebrations at our house. Emmeline's sixteenth birthday was last Friday. Her older siblings took the day off of work so they could be with her. We gave her gifts, chocolate cake, and lots of love.

I haven't done any knitting at all this autumn and very little reading. I am, however, very busy with  mothering and homemaking, which are two things I love even more. So, today I packed up my knitting project (from the summer) and put it away for another time.

 

November is a month of storm clouds, lavender sunsets, and milk-glass moons. 

The other day around 4 o'clock in the afternoon, this sharp-shinned hawk landed in our tree. The moon was already rising in the sky.

 

Emmeline and I did the hard work of preparing the garden beds for winter. I am waiting for the rain to stop so I can finish mulching the roses. Then, anytime after that, it can snow. : ) In Finland, some of my favorite bloggers already have snow!

Pumpkin carving at my house. Someone can't wait until Christmas. : )

And neither can my Christmas cactus! Last year it bloomed from Thanksgiving 'til Easter. This year, it's starting at Hallowe'en.

We went apple picking at the beginning of the month, and I've been making pies and cakes and all manner of apple goodies. One day we couldn't decide whether we wanted apple pie or apple crisp, so I made a pie with an apple crisp topping. It was scrumptious.

Handsome Presley. He is a kind, playful, extremely affectionate dog. If you need something to brighten your day, try watching this video of a mama boxer taking care of her pups. Boxers are wonderful dogs and excellent mothers.

Amy has to be to work pretty early in the morning, and since I drive her, I get to see lots of beautiful sunrises.

Wishing everyone a Happy Hallowe'en!

It has been cold the last few mornings, and woodsmoke has scented the air. Today's high temperature is only 48°. I like it cold. I can go out into the woods and walk and walk and walk among the deep autumn shadows, my boots swishing through the leaf-fall.

Last week the foliage was at its vibrant peak. Then the wind came and, whoosh!, all the leaves came down. The woods are barer now, but no less beautiful.

It is widely accepted that  'beauty is in the eye of the beholder', but I believe that beauty is the reflection of Truth. As Fyodor Dostoevsky famously put it, "Beauty will save the world!".

Fr. Timothy S. Reid explains how this happens one soul at a time:

"Beauty reveals or is a reflection of goodness, perfection, clarity, and simplicity. It is objectively attractive by its very nature. Beauty draws us out of ourselves toward something other. Most importantly, beauty is not something we consume, but it is something that must be contemplated in order to be enjoyed. In other words, we must receive it and allow it to shape us...Beauty is our portal to the interior life of our soul."

The other day I started reading the book, The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country, by Helen Russell. It's a fun, light read, thanks to Russell's companionable voice and British wit.

I looked up the United Nation's Happiness Report and noticed that the happiest countries have a few things in common: they are small (less than 10 million people), prosperous nations, with a fairly homogeneous population. It makes sense that people are happier when they feel kinship with, and support from, their communities (trust), and when there is a narrow gap between the richest and poorest incomes. Diversity appears to be an impediment to happiness. The most culturally diverse countries in the world rank the lowest in happiness (e.g. Tanzania).

Did you know that 6.4 million children between the ages of 4 and 17 in the United States have been diagnosed with ADHD? By high school approximately 20% of all boys in the U.S. will have been diagnosed with ADHD --a 37% increase since 2003 (from "The Drugging of the American Boy", by Ryan D'Agostino). Think about that for a minute: 6.4 million is more than the entire populations of most of the happiest countries in the world!

The standard treatment for ADHD is stimulant drugs that are classified as "Schedule II", which are defined as "having a high potential for abuse" and  "with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence."  Besides the drugs used to treat ADHD, other drugs that belong to this class are: cocaine, methamphetamine, Demerol, and OxyContin. These drugs are serious, addictive, and can come with some potent side effects. Scary stuff. Stimulants are basically a performance enhancing drug for the mind. They work in helping kids whose immature brains¹ (or disordered brains) can't attend to the tedium of academic tasks. These drugs do work; but does that mean we should use them? What do you think?

This article from PBS Frontline lays out both sides of the argument:  Does ADHD exsit?

ADHD is considered a neuro-biological disorder.  But there is no lab test to determine if a patient has it. There is a questionnaire. There are academic and cognitive evaluations. If your child is more than a grade level behind his age mates, expect a diagnosis of ADHD and a treatment plan that consists of a prescription for a Schedule II stimulant and possibly special education.

Throughout history there has always been  "no room at the inn" for anyone who doesn't fit neatly into society's standards and norms (witch hunts, asylums, The Final Solution, etc.). We think that by eliminating differences, we will all be happier. And, maybe we will. But, we will also miss the opportunity to see beauty in the other and realize the life of our own souls.

---

1 More than a third of children diagnosed with ADHD "outgrow" their symptoms.

The time from Michaelmas to Christmas, when night rules the day, and the earth grows cold and dark, is the shadow time; light and life retreat; soil and water turn to stone and seal the earth until spring. And now, in these dying days, while the earth is still open, the shadow spirits come forth.

Grey day, dark at four; Hurry home and shut the door. ~ Shirley Hughes

Earlier this month, the harvest moon was the loveliest I have ever beheld: it was immense and golden with a misty halo 'round it.

 ♥

On Instagram, there is a meme going around: Which three fictional characters are you? I don't have a cell phone, so I can't play on Instagram. But, I can play here! I tried to think of characters that I am actually like, rather than characters I wish I could be:

1) Aunt Becky from the TV show Full House
2) Mrs. Tiggy-winkle by Beatrix Potter (Mrs. Tiggy-winkle is a hedgehog washerwoman who lives in a tiny cottage and makes her living doing laundry for the animals in the neighborhood)
2) Snow White (Walt Disney's version-because I sing, live a quiet domestic life, and have an affinity with creatures of all kinds)

Which three fictional characters are you most like?

Yesterday was chilly and gray. Luke called me to the window to see these crows mob this handsome sharp-shinned hawk. I went outside and watched the battle for a while. The hawk held his ground, but then the crows called for reinforcements and the hawk finally retreated.

We've been back to our home school lesson work for three weeks now. I only have two students left this year. My oldest three children all have jobs but, thankfully, still live at home. I savor every minute with them.

Sometimes when my two students are working on their lessons, I play with words. The other day I wrote this poem:

I knew your hair

once

Pale as moonlight,

turned

Dark as well water

you

Wondering why I 

cannot

Open the gate and 

go

Through the needle

back

To the garden

Where I knew you

once

If you look, there is a "hidden" message. : )

 ♥

At this time of year I think a lot about education and what I want for my children. I believe that education is the lifelong pursuit of developing one’s potential and creativity as a human being, and the  purpose of education is to live a fulfilling and meaningful life, one that is significant for other people as well as oneself. I also believe that the very nature of human beings is to learn. In the same way that a plant’s nature is to reach toward sunlight and water, human nature is to inquire and create constructively and independently from the resources available. The effort needed to learn is a fulfilling, constructive force that results in a positive self-concept unless coerced or pressed beyond one’s developmental ability. 

I have never followed a systematic, graded, artificial scope and sequence with my children. There are a lot of walks in the woods and on the beach, a lot of trips to museums and interesting places, a lot of making and doing. There are lots of stories and articles to share and read and maps to pore over, and music, songs, films, and art. These are the things that make up our curriculum. We make a practice of recording our adventures, experiences and impressions in words and illustrations. We enjoy many--and deep—conversations. Math is our servant, applied when we need it to make sense of the world or solve a problem while cooking, knitting, buying and selling, woodworking, gardening, writing music, planning a trip, etc. We discuss world events and the problems faced by society past and present. We delve deeply into matters of religion and politics.

I cannot say with any confidence that my children's education is "better" than the education provided by schools. All I can say is that it is unique and personal and infused with great love.

I have been enjoying the long, cool evenings with outdoor fires and indoor candles and twinkle lights. Last weekend, a big garden spider warmed herself on the fireplace grate. I waited until she was toasty, then I flicked her off so I could roast my marshmallow.

Lately, I've been so busy with everything that I've fallen far behind in correspondence, knitting, reading, and blog-keeping. I am hoping that autumn's longer evenings will give me more time for these activities. Elvis wants to help me write a letter on my yellow lap desk. : )   

These are my favorite nights of the year. They are perfect for books and blankets, hot tea and cocoa, popcorn and board games. 

♥

I watched the first Presidential debate Monday night with boredom and disgust. Some people point to one or the other of the two candidates as being "the lesser of two evils", but really, there is no such thing; Satan or Lucifer--what's the difference? I wish that the Green Party candidate (Dr. Jill Stein) and the Libertarian Party candidate (Gary Johnson) were allowed to participate in the debates. Perhaps they are just two more devils, but we will never know. I shudder to think about what is happening to this country . . . but of course greed and corruption have been going on for a long time. I believe that my generation and the one before it are the worst that have ever lived--materialistic, godless, narcissistic, immoral, hedonistic addicts. We are leaving our children and grandchildren without a solid foundation and with a hopeless mess from which to try and build their lives. It makes me very sad. 

A lot of people I've talked to said that they are probably not going to vote. I don't know what to do. I'm not sure if it even matters. 

What I will do is keep living and loving and nurturing my family and my critters and plants, and praying and worshiping God with a grateful heart.

♥♥♥