'Tis the Season for Fall Rituals – Barbara Wackerle Baker

 

 

It’s been an amazing and warm fall in Alberta. I almost managed to keep my tradition of wearing shorts from May long weekend until Thanksgiving. But then it snowed. Eight inches. A few people felt that was a weak excuse on my part. Luckily, it melted the very next day and I wore shorts again.

   

    The reason I had to wear pants - a very

    serious game of hide and seek took place

    before the snow melted

The aspen and poplar trees are bare now. Crunchy leaves cover the forest floors. But I haven't smelled fall yet. You know that aroma—damp dirt, rotting leaves. I haven't found it.

Don't get me wrong. I love the extra days of autumn we're having and am totally aware winter can happen at any hour...even if there's no fall smell in the air. Which means it's time to prepare for its entrance.

Is it possible a trickster ghost left his glasses behind?

Here’s my fall things-to-do checklist:

-   replace batteries in smoke detectors. There will be no stumbling around at 3 AM to locate the chirping culprit.

-   adjust the body’s circadian rhythm to get in sync with time change. Ooops, not this year (or ever again in Alberta). Instead, I’ll buy toques with USB headlamps for the grandkids’ trek to school in the dark. They’re lucky they don’t have to walk uphill both ways in the snow.

-   change the furnace filter

-   continue the merits of the studded snow tire discussion with spouse

-   move long sleeved shirts and pants to the front of the closet. Keep one pair of shorts handy just in case.

-   put flannel sheets back on the bed. Resist the urge to test them out in the middle of the afternoon.

-    I didn’t get on the pumpkin spice wagon, so I don’t have to get off it

-    dig out snow scrapers and snow shovels. A sure guarantee it won’t snow for weeks, right? 

-    stack and cover outdoor furniture for hibernation

-    check expiry dates of emergency food rations in the car and replace as required

-    buy numerous packs of Fisherman’s Friend lozenges and put in parka pockets

-    stuff toques and mismatched gloves in vehicles. Similar to the missing-sock-in-the-dryer conundrum.

-    swap out slip-ons, flip flops and hikers for a variety of winter boots

-    let’s not forget the Christmas decoration dispute - is it too tacky to put them up this early? Or should we wait until it’s 20 below and a good old-fashioned blizzard blows in? Nothing says holiday spirit like untangling strings of lights with frozen fingers.

After all tasks are complete, I make a steaming cup of hot chocolate (with mini marshmallows bobbing on top), put my feet up in front of the fireplace, dream of powder days and first tracks while Johnny Reid croons in the background. 

But this is Alberta. By Friday I might have to take the lawn chairs out of hibernation. And if I'm lucky, maybe I'll get a whiff of the pungent smells of fall before winter covers it up. 

What fall routines happen in your household? Do you enjoy the changing of seasons?

Baker, Barbara - BWL Publishing Inc. (bookswelove.net)

Barbara Baker Author Page Facebook 

 

Summer of Lies by Barbara Baker — BWL Publishing

What About Me? by Barbara Baker — BWL Publishing

Jillian of Banff XO — BWL Publishing

The Essence of Andy Clithroe-by Naguib Kerba

 The Essence of Andy Clitheroe | Medieval Times Knight's Journey of Courage & Perseverance — Naguib Sami Kerba Photography

In Flanders Fields

 

Wide of the Mark

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In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That marks our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe;
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

John McCrae
Flanders, 1915

Captain John McCrae was a surgeon in the Canadian Army. He served with the 1st Field Artillery Brigade during the battles of the Ypres salient. The death of his friend and former student, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer of Ottawa, inspired him to write this poem.

On January 28th, 1918, Lieutenant Colonel McCrae died of pneumonia and meningitis. He never saw the end of World War One, which ended nine and a half months later.

"In Flanders Fields" came to immortalize the symbol of sacrifice the world over. 

On every November 11, we honour the brave men and women who served and continue to serve our country. At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of that eleventh month, we pause in silence to remember their sacrifices, and the sacrifices of their families and loved ones. 

They fought for the freedom we enjoy. They gave their today so we could have a tomorrow. We owe them a debt that can never be repaid.

 

Lest we forget - N'oublions Jamais

JS

Reference: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/military-history/history-heritage/remembrance-ceremony/4.html

 

 

J. S. Marlo's Website

Thankful for Readers by Eileen O'Finlan

 

                                
          

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Here in the United States, Thanksgiving falls in November. As the day of feasting approaches, thoughts turn to the many things for which we are grateful.

I have much to be thankful for - family, friends, home, my cats, my writing group, a good job, lots of books to read, and time to write - to name a few. But I recently received something in the mail that reminded me of another thing for which I am deeply grateful - my readers.

One of my cousins told a friend about my debut book Kelegeen and its sequel, Erin's Children. His friend read the books and told him how much she loved them. So, my cousin asked me if I would send her a signed copy of each of them. I was happy to do so. 

It was a pleasant surprise when not much later, I found an envelope in my mailbox with a return address that seemed familiar though I couldn't place it. Upon opening it, I found a lovely card with a drawing of a seaside cottage upon a cliff reminiscent of the Irish landscape.

I took a moment to admire it before opening the card. What I found on the inside was a delightful surprise. For this reader to take the time and effort to create something so personal and lovely touched my heart.

To all of my readers, please know that I truly appreciate and am thankful for every one of you!

Let's Get Cozy!

                             Voices                                    Echoes                                    Slingers

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Autumn! This is a time when nature allows people in the Northern Great Plains to slow their roll. The panic-rush of the short growing season and harvest comes to a close, and the process of buttoning up for winter begins. 

Autumn is also my writer's world. It's a time for a little more sitting, a little more reflection, and a little more inspiration. 

So here is a nod to autumn writing.

Let's Get Cozy

Put away the rake. 
Winterize the mower. 
Bust out your sweaters.
Let's move a little slower. 

Take a deep, cleansing breath.

Pause as geese fly.

See leaves change colors.

Trace clouds drifting by.

Fire up the crockpot.

Cook something creamy.

Switch on the fire.

Bake something dreamy.

Let the house be quiet.

Let your thick socks slouch.

Pull your laptop closer.

Curl into the couch.

Slip into writer's world.

Sip a warm cup of cider.

Let your mind drift far away,

And your thoughts stretch wider.

Let time tick, unnoticed. 

Let the sun slip discreetly.

Hear the keyboard click.

Write your story neatly.

Pause and go back.

Revisit what you wrote.

Smile at your genius.

Make a few notes.

Get up. Take a walk

In the crisp autumn air.

Refill your senses.

Find inspiration there.

Return to your passion.

Let the plotline unfold.

Use words you love.

Make characters bold.

Make someone quirky.

Have your villain cause trouble.

Let your hero suffer.

It's all about the struggle.

Let words swirl around you.

Get a little prosy.

Nestle into autumn, and

Let's get cozy!