How to Bring in Pumpkin Season
books, events, and poetry
I’m sitting at my dining room table, with freshly cut orange marigolds, a creamy vanilla pumpkin scented candle, and a ceramic acorn at my side. Where I am has just come out of a heat spell, reaching nearly 95 degrees for the past week. But today, today is the first day it cooled off just a bit and I can hear my sweatshirts calling…
Autumn has always been my favorite season (and everyone else’s, I’m gathering). It’s such a good time to start something new, like the kids do with school. Just to get into the mood, I’m going to share a couple of things I’m doing to extend the autumnal feel of everyday until it gets too cold and I start singing Christmas carols. And for those of you who know how early I start doing this, you know how annoying it is.
Books
I’ve never read by season, but it’s pretty fun. It’s a deeper experience when you’re in the same kind of setting as the characters. So far I’ve read Deep, Dark, and Dangerous (YA fiction), by Mary Downing Hahn, and My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix. Both are incredibly creepy and scenic.
And, as a present to myself, I’ve ordered Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman, because I remember liking the movie and I’ve heard she’s a great writer. I’ll let you know how it was when I’m done.
Events
Okay, so this is a plug for my own event, but still! I’m the Poet-in Residence at the Presbyterian Church of the Mountain in Delaware Water Gap, PA, and, as part of my residency, I will be teaching a class once a month to anyone interested. I’ll be exploring finding your own voice through poetry at The Mystical Mug in DWG. We’re going to write poetry, read poetry, drink coffee, and you better believe there will be autumn vibes. Check out our website to sign up and get more info.
Food
On the hottest day last week, I decided I needed pumpkin cookies. I made them for the kids but I ate most of them. Yes, I’ll be making more. Yes, I may bring them to my class. Linked here is the recipe I used, but there are literally thousands (millions?) of pumpkin cookie recipes out there. I don’t have any pictures of the cookies to put here because they’re all gone.
Garland
You show me some cut outs of acorns, pumpkins, triangles, or letters, string them to twine and I am your gal. I would dress my whole house in seasonal garland if I could. I have these illustrations of autumn flowers from a homeschool website (back before the summer smashed my spirit to bits and I wanted to homeschool) and I strung them up and they look old fashioned and lovely.
Games
Board games, card games, and general crafts have been a big deal at our house, even before having kids. As I’m typing this, my husband is playing Dragonwood with our son and our daughter has been really enjoying Spot It. Playing games is really cozy and I often forget how funny the kids are during the busiest times of the week when everything feels like a tornado of schedules, lunches, and routines. It reminds me how much I actually like them.
I hope you’re able to slow down and enjoy this magical time of year. Happy autumn!
