An October afternoon

The first of October---and like a terrible McDonald's ad, I'm loving it! Yesterday kicked off the holiday season--just one more day until my big girl's third birthday (and I can't wait to see her face at the surprises we have in store for her!), a week till turkey time (I'm already dreaming of the cranberry sauce), 30 days until one of the most magical nights of childhood (and Ariel's public debut), and just shy of three months of glorious holiday goodness. I can't wait! I'm like a kid in a candy shop....my heart is near to bursting with excitement and joy!



My artsy pumpkin collection has been on the hall table for nearly a month now, apple-cinnamon and pumpkin spice candles have found their way into nooks and crannies throughout the house weeks ago, and each weekend since the summer, we've been adding to the wood pile in the basement. I hate to admit it, but the Christmas tunes have already been keyed up in my laptop, just waiting for me to hit 'PLAY.' I'll wait until November 1st--but it'll be hard to resist, lemme tell you.



But, first--back to October. What a lovely afternoon yesterday. The sun was shining in that warm, crisp, brisk way that is so quintessentially October. And, when the girls took a nap, I slipped on my billers, doused myself down with some Off bug spray and yanked the wheelbarrow out from the carport. I squelched my way through the swampy grass (23 days of rain in September will do that to a yard!) and headed for the garden.



I spent an hour up to my elbows in cool, wet mud, digging up potatoes with little regard for my wedding rings or nailbeds, both of which required intense cleaning when I returned to the house. The soil was so damp and wet that it was easy for my shovel to bite into the ground, loosening the dirt around each potato plant. So easy in fact, that I abandoned the shovel altogether. At one point, the mud nearly sucked my boot off my foot and I lost my balance, landing on my forearms in the mud, my hands full of taters. It was heavenly!

I hauled in at least another 10 lbs. of potatoes and 5 more pumpkins before I headed back to the house. The girls were still napping, so I took advantage of another 15 minutes of serenity and planted tulip and iris bulbs in the front garden. Then, I walked down the laneway to collect the garbage cans, marvelling at the reds and golds. Back to the house, I perched myself on the stoop and just soaked in the sunshine. A perfect afternoon. The baby monitor began to squawk so I went back in--reluctantly, I must admit.

October, my own personal ''soote season,'' is here and I don't want to miss a minute of it.....