Thursday, September 06, 2007

after several frosts

there's a snap in the air. a cold snap. we can no longer live in denial. it's autumn

autumn's a nice enough season... it would better loved if it stayed longer, and didn't precede winters that seem a century long... that would make me something over 5000 years old... hmmm... happily, i don't look my age.

so, with the intent of finding silver linings, seeing the cup half-full, walking on the sunny side of the street, etc i've made myself a list of things i love about autumn.

no bugs
the air smells like spring water tastes
it's not too warm for wooly sweaters and tights, corduroy, quilted fabrics, all of which i'm partial to
all the kids are excited about school, and wearing their funky new clothes
new pencils, crayons, pens, gadgets
new books
new friends
new things to learn
all the new seasonal clothes are everywhere. Everyone tries to look good
you don't get all sweaty and smelly going for a walk
you're actually looking forward to winter, just a little
scenery is spectacular
rivers lose their summer silt and run clear (till they freeze solid)
cranberries are ripe
you can see an end to the yard and garden work - don't have to mow the lawn every second day
farming's nearly over
fishing's over (memories of the Yukon - pulling the last of the salmon from nets crusted with ice)
Thanksgiving
Halloween
Christmas comes after Thanksgiving and Halloween
if you live in a tourist town, the tourists are gone
snuggling under a thick quilt with a hot cuppa and a good book
smells of good food cooking, as you walk from the cool outdoors to the warm indoors
sitting in the warm indoors, looking out at the cold outdoors, thankful for home
the light that shines from the window of your home, as you walk towards it in the dark
cold weather foods
stew with dumplings or mashed potatos
fresh baked pie, bread, muffins, biscuits
roasted meat
thick soups
cookies, still warm from the oven
hot mulled apple cider
hot chocolate
pasta with thick sauce and meatballs; lasagne
dolmathes
scalloped potatos
eggnog
hearty breakfasts - porridge, waffles, french toast, pancakes, bacon, sausage and eggs
the irish band i play with actually has time to get together for practices, because it's too cold to do anything else
i'm inspired with ideas for my violin students, after the summer break
sharing all the above with people we love

17 Comments:

Blogger Granny said...

How lovely. We still have at least a month or so of hot weather despite what the calendar says.

3:09 PM  
Blogger clairesgarden said...

comfort food features a lot!

12:02 AM  
Blogger kate said...

Now that was a good idea - coming up with a list of the good things about autumn and the ensuing long winter. I just wish that winter didn't seem so endless. Better yet, I wish that I could garden all year long. We try and cram in so much over the summer and then, just when the garden looks great, there's frost. The night air is chilly here and any night now, the dreaded first frost will happen. The first thing to go will be the Morning Glories (I had 15 Heavenly Blue blooms today - they are beautiful!)

Enjoy your weekend ... how many violin students do you have?

10:27 PM  
Blogger grannyfiddler said...

granny - thanks; and we know when you say "hot" in your neck of the woods, you mean HOT and very dry (without even factoring in the effects of global warming). for another month!? we won't have a leaf left on a tree by then, and it will be freezing solid every night. if we're lucky, it won't have snowed by then. hope you're settling into your new digs comfortably, and everyone is adjusting well.

claire - with winter possibly lurking behind every cloud, we take our comforts where we can get them! i don't actually make many of those yummy things anymore; i'd have to eat them all myself, and i'd get so big i'd never be able to find a kayak i could get into! but when my house was always full of kids, i did. it's probably things like that, associated with the food that are the real comforts.

kate - yes; summers too short & winters too long. we've had our first frost already, weeks ago. no morning glories left... though i didn't have any garden at all this year, i remember planting morning glories and sweet peas on either end of the kids' swing set one year, with poles horizontally across the triangular ends of it. it was spectacular. they seem to do best for me in raised beds,where the soil is warmer. maybe they don't like cold feet.

11:52 AM  
Blogger granny p said...

You almost make me wish for real winter here - summer goes on till late October. Which is nice but - I do miss some of the things you're writing about...

5:15 AM  
Blogger grannyfiddler said...

granny p - thanks for stopping for a visit in the midst of your busy time with a house full of guests. i think i'd miss the cool seasons (all 4 of them) if i lived elsewhere. my biggest gripe is just the lllllleeeeennnnnnggggggtttttthhhhhh of our winters.

7:26 AM  
Blogger kate said...

Ouch! I just came in from hauling all my plants in and covering the morning glories. We are supposed to be getting SNOW tomorrow, although I'm keeping my fingers crossed it will be rain instead!

I love your autumn list ... had to come by and read it again, since I was feeling kind of dejected with the end of summer.

8:01 PM  
Blogger grannyfiddler said...

kate - the grass was crunchy this morning, but the pelargoniums are up on the step, against the house, so they didn't freeze... i'd better start putting them inside at night i guess. ....just noticed that i didn't ask your question about # of students earlier.... i have about 16 just now, but the number in september is never the same as the number at the end of the term, in June. sometimes it grows, sometimes shrinks.

you used the 's' word! no talk of cold white stuff falling from the skies just yet, please! (shiver) i'm still in denial. i hope covering the morning glories brings them through unscathed.

11:51 AM  
Blogger Rowan said...

It sounds as though you aren't a great fan of autumn:) It's my favourite season though I maybe wouldn't so enthusiastic about autumn and winter if I lived where you do!
Just wanted to say thanks for leaving the suggestions about fiddle music on Kate's blog for me - noted and will be looked for.

12:59 PM  
Blogger Rowan said...

Having read the good things again I'm feeling even more happy about autumn coming - it all sounds really appealing especially all that great food.

1:03 PM  
Blogger lindsaylobe said...

What a mighty list, very inspirational. I visited a pub recently for dinner and enjoyed the local Irish band that gets together for a few hours there each week. They perform gratuitously as it’s a practice session in front of a small appreciative live audience which helps keep everyone on track.

Maybe you could occasionally do the same for free meals and a more convivial practice.

Happy autumn!!

5:45 AM  
Blogger grannyfiddler said...

rowan - it's not that i don't like autumn. i do, very much. but it's not much longer than a blink here, some years. and WINTER is right on its heels!

... one lovely thing about winter is that we spend a lot of time inside... making music!

lindsay lobe - yes, the band i play with does do that, semi-regularly. i, sadly don't, much, because they all live in a town about an hour away from me.

12:11 PM  
Blogger Granny said...

Just received your good wishes. Thank you. It means a lot to have the support of friends.

Is it okay to say this has been a horrible year?

8:59 PM  
Blogger Granny said...

Ray's surgeon just called from Modesto. Triple bypass, in recovery,
doing well. I'll go down there tomorrow since surgeon said he'd be
mostly out of it today.

11:17 AM  
Blogger Granny said...

Did you know I'm bilingual as well? One of my first words on hearing about the surgery was "merde". In several different languages.

7:32 AM  
Blogger grannyfiddler said...

granny - that makes you multilingual. i'm sadly not one of the bilingual Canadians. just a few words in French, learned in high school and university french classes. a good cuss occasionally is good for us, in any language.

12:29 PM  
Blogger kate said...

I imagine you are pretty busy these days. One thing I wanted to ask you is what are some of your favourite fiddle tunes? I seem to go from playing a lot of old-time fiddle tunes to Celtic and then to really old, old tunes.

We had another frost last night, but it wasn't as bad the one last week. Today was a pleasant day though and it is supposed to be warmer tomorrow.

7:50 PM  

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