Autumn Traditions

I am always sad when October comes to an end....it is by far my favorite month of the year.

The weather changes to colder, gardens fade and are put to bed, porch furniture is put away, the trees are ugly and bare.

There are things I feel I must do every October to take full advantage of all it's glory.

I must go to as many farm markets as possible to get fresh apples, butternut squash and gourds. This year my husband and I went on a tour of many different farm markets along the lakeshore, tasting apples and taking in the scenery. We even visited Chimney Bluffs on Lake Ontario.

I must get my pumpkin for a dollar on the flatbed truck a few miles away.

 

I must bake Pumpkin Cookies. My granddaughter Cassidy comes over and decorates them every year.....

 

 



 

And my son Michael eats them!

 

 

 

I must make homemade pumpkin bread, apple crisp and applesauce.

 

I must go to  Schutt's Apple Mill and farm market in Webster for the best cider and donuts around.

 

This year I added some new must's that I wanted to make sure I accomplished.

 

For the past 16 years I have wanted a row of different colored mums in my garden to remind me of my old farmhouse.

 

I did it this year!

 

 

 

I have always wanted to make a pumpkin pie out of a fresh pumpkin. I did it and you can see the tutorial for it here.

 

 





And finally, I have always wanted a scarecrow in my garden. Not those kitschy ones from the craft shows or the dollar store....a real respectable, looks like a homemade, scarecrow. I found one at a garage sale. Can't believe this woman was selling him but she was moving and couldn't take him along. He has a wool shirt, a silk tie, real jeans and a real straw hat. Just what I was looking for....now if I could only find the faux crow I had to put on his shoulder!

 

 

I haven't carved a pumpkin in years but my daughter and granddaughter have and they carved the ones at the beginning of this post. Can you tell what they are?

 

The first one is an owl and the second one is a hamster. My daughter is into owls right now and my granddaugter has a real hamster at home. Cute!

 

AnnMarie :)

 

 

 





 

My Mom Jane

My Mom Jane just had a birthday and is a young, vibrant 74 years old!

 

We get together every year to celebrate at the park along Canandaigua Lake.....praying that the weather will hold out since her day is at the end of September! And we always take a picture of ourselves together.....this one was taken by me at arm's length....pretty good, huh? It always makes us laugh trying to get it right, which is always great for the picture!

 

This year it was sunny but very windy...not too cold to be out but we needed a few layers. 

 

We usually chat and walk along the shore and chat and sit on the benches and chat about what is going on in our lives...spiritually and everyday family things. I bring the lunch and a tablecloth and Jane brings a game to play. And we always pray together before we part for the day.

 

 

 

This year our lunch was the fabulous Chicken Avocado Salad that I posted the recipe for here,  the zucchini bread I posted about here and the apple crisp I wrote about last Fall here! (I am just realizing as I am writing this that I have posted about all of our lunch items because they are so great tasting and I make them a lot!) We were half done before I remembered to take a picture! For dessert I brought a treat from Dunkin' Donuts....an apple fritter and a pumpkin muffin.....yum!

 

The best part of this Mother/Daughter get together is that we're really not. Mother and Daughter, that is.

 

I met Jane at a real estate office about 16 years ago, where she was an agent and I was the office secretary. We grew to know each other and love each other and she became like a mother to me and I like a daughter to her.

 

I do not have a relationship with my birth mother and although I kinda don't know what I've missed not having her, the Lord knew. He gave me Jane as my spiritual mother and we have been mother and daughter ever since. Jane has two grown sons but no daughter, so I am one of her spiritual daughters...she is blessed with two!

 

We have fooled people into thinking we are really mother and daughter and some have said we look alike. We both love a lot of the same things....horses, gardens, a good recipe, a great deal at a thrift shop and a walk in the park. She stood by me through my many years of migraine headaches and cancelled dates and I will always be there through her physical trials. We are sisters in Christ, friends for life and mother and daughter spiritually.

 

The Lord knew what each of us needed and provided it. I would love to live closer to see Mom Jane more but our times together are that much sweeter the way it is now.

 

I love you Mom Jane and I thank you Lord everyday for her!

 

AnnMarie :)