October...

Those who know me, know of my passion for October. We are almost 3/4 of the way through, but my schedule has not permitted me the time to pay proper homage to it until now. But I can't let another day, another moment pass without acknowledging what this month means to me...which is everything.

October has attitude! It says to those who feel gloom over the loss of long days spent on a sandy beach, "Really? I will dazzle you with color so brilliant you will forget about cold tea and sunscreen." If October were a flavor it would be caramel. Warm, golden and soft...and never lasting as long as you want it to.

October is the matriarch of the calendar family. After months of vacations, getaways, and self-anointed time alone, it calls everyone back home. It's cooler temperature keeps a fire burning in the hearth. Its shorter days draws us in from the dark to the warm glow of a soft lamp in the window. Its longer nights force contemplation as winter is about to set in and the need to be surrounded by family is ever so strong.

And its flavors!!! Where do I begin? Okay, I will start with my favorite...apples! From the Winesap's, to the Golden Delicious, or the tangy Cortland's, there is just nothing better. I assume that this was God's favorite fruit too since He used it to have Eve tempt Adam, so who am I to question this preference! While some apple varieties are available in September, hardcore apple snobs, like myself, prefer the tarter varieties of October.

And then there is the symbol most associated with my favorite month:  THE PUMPKIN!!
This beta-carotene rich fruit was once mainly used for pies, decorating or carving into Jack-O-Lanterns at Halloween. But pumpkin lattes, soups, muffins, breads, ice creams and many other culinary sources have laid claim to this fall favorite causing its farm market status to rise dramatically!

October resonates with my soul. From a young child cutting crimson colored construction paper along stenciled leaves to hang in the classroom window, to a young mom decorating the front porch with corn stalks and haystacks for her little boys, it owns me. Not even December makes me as happy.

Like Linus in "Its the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown", I believe in the magic of October. I refuse to let the sudden, unexpected end of a marriage, in this very month last year, taint my feelings. Some things you just can't take from me!

So, step outside and breath it all in. The golden colors, the cool air, the slightly musty scent of leaves decaying into the damp earth. And if your schedule, or maybe even your geographical location, doesn't allow a glimpse of all that October has to offer, click on the video below. You'll be glad that you took the time.

Photos by ImageGoggle, Video by Youtube & Barry Manilow