My Autumn Poem

I know my readers come from all over but here in New England, it has to be noted that we are experiencing poetic fall weather. Amidst the cerulean skies, soft breezes and unusually green trees, I have been steeped in some lovely things which I will share.

The art piece above is Mary Cassett’s, Profile of Lydia and I think it is a rich interpretation of everything wonderful about the season.  Although Lydia is wearing a black lace bonnet, the color of her wrap delineates the brilliant colors of harvest time. I can almost smell the air about her…wood smoke and earth and I can also sense the odd hollow hush when fallen leaves blanket the ground.  This is the stuff that thrills me, yet at the same time, makes me nostalgic and long for past times.

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In fall, I often think of good old-fashioned food.  Having tried a few Instagram recipes recently, I have decided that most social media offerings are just not that good.  So I’ve gone back to my own cookbooks including a small one that was produced by my elementary school in 1964.  I was disappointed to see that my mother did not contribute a recipe of her own to the book but I very well remember her working on its production. What fun I had revisiting this church supper-like cookbook and seeing all my old classmates’ mothers and my teachers supply recipes such as, “Molasses Cookies For the Tin Above the Ice Box” and “Meatloaf Even Junior Will Eat”.  This look-back has made me create a list I call “November Suppers” for tried and true cooking for fall.  Some from this PTA book made the list but I also culled some old magazines I own with tasty-looking dinner meals.  I will certainly be cooking from my new culinary itinerary come November 1st.

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I have enjoyed being retired but recently I began a very small part-time job and I love it.  The money is easy-peasy and it’s only 45 minutes per day and best of all, it’s plain fun. It also bookends my morning and was just what I needed.  As a person who was ruled by the clock for 38 working years, I didn’t realize how much I needed a bit of structure built into my meandering retirement days.  More on this later but I will never underestimate the power of putting a little formation into my weekdays.

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As written before, I am a knitter.  At one time, I thought I wanted to be a quilter too.  But now I am determined to focus on my one true craft which never ceases to interest me.  I was asked over the summer to join a small knitting circle, mostly made up of women I didn’t know (I only knew the founder in an acquaintance sort of way).  The desire for congenial knitting similar to the old quilting bees is what made me say yes and I’m so glad I did.  A few more knitters have joined and we meet once a week for 2 hours of knitting and chatting.  These knitters have brought new ideas and concepts to my life.  We focus mostly on our craft but fit in fashion and culinary discussions too.  We are quite different from one another but cohesively, we share a fiber-love that goes beyond the norm. Quilting bee indeed…our female forbearers knew something about women sharing while in the pursuit of making.

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After Robert Redford died this summer, I revisited the film he won an Oscar for as director.  Ordinary People, although sad at times, is a near-perfect movie depicting how a heartbreaking event torments an ordinary family in the 1980’s.  I’m so glad I re-watched it but what I really couldn’t take my eyes off was the plethora of gorgeous sweaters.  There were fair isles in pastel colors, Shetland pullovers with saddle shoulders, cashmere argyle crewnecks, and my favorite, bulky men’s cardigans. Nearly every scene had a terrific sweater to behold.  And I remember all these sweaters – the feminine dainty ones and the heavy men’s sweaters and everything in between.  I was captivated by the 1980’s cold-weather dressing.  It has me thinking about my own winter wardrobe and all the sweaters I own which sometimes take a back row seat to the micro-fiber and fleece which I often don on frigid days.  Time to incorporate old-fashioned wool which is really the best for the season because of its warmth and strength.  Where have all the great sweaters gone?  I recommend another look at Ordinary People, for the message of a father’s enduring love, and for its parade of sweaters.  (Note: I’m now reading the book.)

These seemingly unrelated things as well as our weather have been like a fresh new poem this Autumn.  In the background are the scents of the season, the crunching leaves and the promise of cooler days to come.  But closer to my heart are these thoughtful stanzas outlining some lovely things to cook, engage in or just think about…

Have you written your own autumn poem?