1.) Down In The Valley – The Head and the Heart
2.) Ho Hey – The Lumineers
3.) Dead Sea – The Lumineers
4.) Of Crows and Crowns – Dustin Kensrue
5.) Winter Winds – Mumford and Sons
6.) I and Love and You – The Avett Brothers
7.) Home – Phillip Phillips
I have to apologize to y’all for my lack of faithfulness in daily blogging for my 31Days series. I am trying, I promise, but I’m afraid the duties farm life have kept me tied up as of late. Yesterday I came in about an hour after night fall to a hot supper and rest and all that was on my mind was exactly that… rest. It did cross my mind to write, actually, but my brain has been befuddled by a head cold that leaves me quite senseless. I was logging. Felling trees. Big, intimidating trees. Possibly one of the most frightening tree jobs I’ve done, to date.
But I enjoyed the work. I enjoy working with my hands.
Lately, I’ve been seeding and watering and such in our hoop-houses.
In late summer we transition our farm operation towards the “greens” season.
Our greens are grown in winter, unlike summer vegetables, and shielded by our unheated greenhouses. Both built by hand ourselves.
Each fall we begin to watch the progress on pins and needles as the seedlingw just begin to peek out and grow to maturity.
I’m crossing my fingers for fast growth this week, as Saturday is the local Harvest Market. It’s put on by Arts and AG, a local venture by some seriously ingenuitive artisans, shop keepers, and farmers. These folks work tirelessly to bring life back to our community and encourage it to be just that… a community.
Fall is always a time in my mind where we focus on linking arms and supporting local ventures.
Townships with conscientious citizens, concerned with supporting one another, don’t just happen. They are planted, tended, prayed over, watched, babied, and grown from a tender state to maturity. Like my seedlings.
This weekend, get out there!!!! Help the transition happen. Skip the chain stores. Bring some food from farm to table. Buy something handmade. Talk to someone face to face about the product they made and are passionate about. Look for a fun event like the Harvest Market of Hickman County to attend…. then you can cross that off your Great Big Fall List!!!!
Keep your friends close and your farmers closer.
Mornings in October are quite nippy. I bought myself a hat and a new sweater to wear, yesterday, from a thrift store. And I wore them to do the farm chores. Feeding snuggly puppies. Watering greens. I have a deathly head cold today, but I found myself outside quite early this morning nevertheless. The frosty air was chilling but the animals beckoned. I looked round on the trees all just beginning to change and thought of Robert Frost. He loved nature and to find himself in it. Here is a poem he graced October with….
O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
Tomorrow’s wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;
Tomorrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow.
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know.
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees, one far away.
Retard the sun with gentle mist;
Enchant the land with amethyst.
Slow, slow!
For the grapes’ sake, if they were all,
Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,
Whose clustered fruit must else be lost—
For the grapes’ sake along the wall.
-Robert Frost.
I know I’ve talked about the pumpkin addictions happening in October before… like when I posted about the madly thrilling circumstances which began my Pumpkin Spice Latte affair, which by the way, would be perfect with this recipe! Which happens to also be a pumpkin recipe! Yet again….. sigh.
This is my favorite pumpkin pie recipe. Usually I make it in a deep dish ceramic pie plate, but this time I made it in foil pans for convenience sake because I was making 4 of them for parties and company. They’re a crowd pleaser for sure. The recipe is from a friend of mine who lives among the plain people in an Amish community here in Tennessee.
To make:
Preheat oven to 400.
Prepare two pans with two pie crusts.
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 c. mashed pumpkin
1 T. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. allspice
sprinkle of cloves
3 c. milk
5 eggs, separated.
Mix all ingredients, leaving out the egg whites. Beat the whites and fold them in last. Pour into the crusts. Bake at 400 for first 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 30 minutes.
Serve warm or cold topped with whipped cream and cinnamon! Or eat plain for a treat breakfast on an October morning!
The best way to transition an outfit from summer to fall is no doubt, a scarf. I have an ach for one of those big knit infinity scarfs…. it’ll come. But for now, I mixed up a basic outfit ( pink studded pullover, brown vest, black skinnies) by adding some different scarfs.
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