Sunday, November 13, 2016

A Lovely Fall Day

The gray light of dawn is visible through my front window.  The sun will be up soon and the weather guessers tell me it will be  beautiful fall day.  The golden leaves on the trees are gone now, all at once.  Even though the days have been warm for this time of year, I think winter will be upon us before we know it.

The fall foliage was gorgeous, but something was missing.  I couldn't figure out just what that was until I remembered that in younger days we raked the leaves from our yard and piled them on the gravel driveway, where we lit them on fire.  The smoke from burning leaves is different from other smoke.  Even during the years I lived in town, the air carried the smell of burning leaves for at least a week.  It was as much a part of fall as red maple leaves and orange pumpkins and caramel apples.  I miss the scent of burning leaves.

Sometimes a person needs to just let the world go ahead and do what the world has to do.  The earth will continue to turn and people will continue to do stupid things whether I pay attention or not.

So today there is a crock pot full of apple butter cooking down and a stock pot on the back burner doing the same thing.  The other back burner holds a simmering pot of vegetable beef soup made with my canned beef and dried vegetables.  There are little granny squares of yarn to be crocheted for an afghan and quilt pieces to be sewn together.  There is music to be heard and appreciated.  There is probably a nap or two to be taken in my recliner, covered by my warm, green, fuzzy blanket.

So world, you go right ahead and stomp your feet and throw your tantrum.  Today I don't care.  Today is for me.

10 comments:

  1. Your day sounds like a great one!
    Would you mind sharing your apple butter recipe when you have time? And are you canning it?

    Amish Heart

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  2. Amish Heart...I am enjoying the day so far. :)
    The apple butter recipe is simple:
    2 quarts apple pulp
    4 cups sugar
    2 teaspoons cinnamon
    1/2 teaspoon cloves
    I like to use the crock pot and just let it cook down to the desired thickness. But I had lots of apple pulp frozen, so I'm cooking the rest in a stock pot over a low heat, stirring often to prevent scorching. I will be canning it in half pint jars. Either pints or half pintsd are canned in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Recipe can be doubled or tripled.
    Some like to add other spices, but I keep it simple.

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  3. Wise attitude, Vicki. However, as someone whose house has forest nearly to my doorstep, and who has fought brush fires, the smell of burning leaves just doesn't hold the same pleasure for me as it does you. - lol

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  4. Gorges...There was a time when I lived in the middle of the pine forest in northern MN. The smell of burning leaves didn't thrill me then, either. But here in the flatlands, it was just part of fall. :)

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  5. Sounds like a lovely day.
    I'm doing something similar. It's raining here and very cool but not cold yet. No need for mittens or a scarf that's my measure of when winter is here.
    I'm hunkering down with a good book under my cozy fleece lap blanket.Not doing anything else today except walking the dog.
    Cheers, SJ in Vancouver BC

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  6. SJ...Sometimes we just need to take a day to rest, relax and enjoy. I'm trying to get organized enough to be able to do that on Sundays. I did have all that apple pulp to deal with, but I'm just cooking the apple butter down today and I'll can it tomorrow.
    Aren't those fleece blankets wonderful?! One of my kids gave me one a couple of years ago and I use it nearly every day. :)
    Enjoy your day, even if it is raining. We haven't yet had a hard freeze, but I expect that will change soon.

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  7. Sounds like a good day. I miss racking the leaves and jumping in them .

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  8. I love the aroma of burning leaves - always reminds me of my childhood. To this day I'll fill a flowerpot with leaves and set them aflame. And breath in those lovely memories of times gone by.

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  9. Rob...It was a good day. Fall is my favorite time of year.

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  10. CM...Maybe that's why I love that smell. It does take us back to childhood days, doesn't it.

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