Because I have been so busy canning food from our yard, I was afraid I might miss my favorite season, Autumn. It is my favorite season until spring comes, and then I am undecided. Last week we went to Michigan where I could slow down and just feel and appreciate the glory of autumn. I loved sitting in my daughter's home and watching the red and yellow leaves fall softly and silently to the ground. It seemed almost like it was snowing leaves. Em has the most beautiful maple trees in her yard. There are two big trees in her front yard that turn flame red and cast a rosy glow through the windows of her home. While we were there, we tasted fall. We went to a cider mill and bought apple juice that tasted almost sweeter and fresher than a freshly picked apple. We also enjoyed the warm spicy donuts. I spent time reading a book called "Little Heathens," a book about a farm family living during the depression in Iowa. I loved reading it and learning about how people used to live. Some of it reminded me of my childhood and relatives that I knew growing up.
One of the quotes from the book was this poem:
"O suns and skies and clouds of June,
And flowers of June together,
Ye cannot rival for one hour
October's bright blue weather.
When I read this book, I felt I was going back in time and experiencing the richness of their lives. I truly enjoyed it.
Em took us to some cemeteries about two hours away from her home. We were able to visit some gravesites of Craig's ancestors. It made them seem more real to us. I loved seeing the pretty farm communities where they lived. While we made notes and took pictures of the headstones, Livy Kay made sketches of them. I was impressed with her patience and her willingness to participate with us and we visited these places. We don't like to have our children so far away, but if Em hadn't moved here, we would never have visited these places. Every experience has it's blessings. We are grateful to we can visit and make these memories together.
