Easing into fall

We've had a nice pace around here since the last of the fruit and tomatoes made their way through our kitchen.  Yes, there's been time for planning co-op activities, knitting, conspiring for Hallowe'en and the multitude of celebrations that follow over the next few months, amongst the everyday tasks that keep us learning together.

So what have we been up to?

  ~ making homemade candies to share with friends and family

  ~ making tin lanterns that we'll hang for Hallowe'en and use for a local Martinmas walk we learned about

  ~ making more cardboard shields

  ~ starting to get ourselves ready for the great Christmas crafting spree - dreaming, planning, gathering, and a little making here and there

  ~ cooking unique homemade meals, using up the bounty from our pantry

  ~ knitting, now that the first snowflakes have fallen and we've given up on an extended Indian summer

  ~ putting that masonry heater to work, as we experiment with a different type of wood

  ~ many stories as we cuddle together

I've gone through a bit of a funk as the days get shorter and shorter and the temperature dips lower and lower.  But I also find myself in a comfortable place.  I smile as I add another quilt handmade with love by a grandmother or great-grandmother to our beds.  I find myself enjoying wearing my woolen treasures.  And I think I'll have to face the fact that I'm a cold-weather cook - it feels comfortable to roast or slow cook, and make up batches of soups and chilis.

And I'm learning that there is much fun and celebration that can be had in the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I'm looking forward to the weeks ahead and the light we'll send out into the world as the nights stretch out.