Treasures of October

Well, once again I'm having computer trouble, loading pictures from this month & I will have to wait until SS (remember our September Song from the last post) is able to come over & show me how to fix it. So, in the meantime, I will have to go to my archives for any pictures or images. 

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October is a fickle weather month. We can have every season in this month, days when we have run the air-conditioner, cool warm Spring days, warm cool fall days & even frigid winter days (in single digits at night!! Brrrr!) Then, bounce back to the lovable warm cool days of Autumn. Crackling firepits for the gathering of family & friends.

& of course the ever present, toothsome jewel of confection at the fireside, marshmallows, soft & sticky on the inside, blackened & crisp on the outside for me, well done!

I loved the watching of the cranes & geese taking their annual exodus to warmer, fairer climes.

I don't know why this seems so moving, but I always race out to see them fly over, wave & wish them 'good journey'. Their honking & chirping for some reason stirs  melancholy in me, like a haunting melody.  & the gallinaceous birds of entitlement thinking, the turkey, now make their daily (sometimes many dailies!) trek through our yard, looking for, expecting really, & getting, handouts & throw outs.

Big Papa Turkey showing off!

When it comes to food though, there isn't much Christian love. More along the line of every turkey for himself.

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We officially opened 'Soup Season' this month. Homemade Chicken Noodle, Vegetable, Potato, Taco as well as Chili, & Chowders. Oh my, all of that comfort food!

Mmmmm, with homemade bread. Are you salivating yet? 

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My husband & I celebrated our 43rd anniversary of connubial bliss...

Well maybe not connubial ALL of the time. 😉💕 (Or bliss either all of the time for that matter!) BUT the WE of us are still here & still going strong!! 💏& in the words of those two, elderly, gentlemen muppets, "Lovey Dovey"!

 

We had a few October drives & the colors this year were spectacular! Even in our own back yard, though softer & muted.

We've had treasures of sunshine in the fog on a breathless morning with the fragrance of wood burning in woodstoves from distant neighbors, Pumpkin Spice malts from 'Culvers' (Yum for the tum! 😀), bi-weekly dates with my husband to go to the 'Sanitary Landfill' (😷) & then to the little Pizza Hut for Personal Pan Pizza, (double yum on that one!) the scent of fallen leaves, the blessing of antelope meat that we haven't had for several years, the soft, gentle rains, gift of a steak dinner at a favorite, cozy, restaurant from our son for our anniversary ( goes way beyond yum! ) the putting out of the bird feeders & the entertainment of the different birds at our dinner table. The cats really like this one. We also had our first snow just a couple of days ago & it was so beautiful & even therapeutically peaceful as we ate our dinner repast in the dining room by candlelight & a faux fire. Even a faux fire has its charms. The first snow of the year is always celebrated, usually drinking a toast to it  with a cup of hot cocoa.

& almost finishing the month, we had our annual Harvest Party, complete with seasonal foods, seasonal games with seasoned friends & 'youth' ones too! So much fun & laughter. 

Then, the enchanting Harvest Moon.

Magical...

Just a few of the "daily loads us with benefits."

We should take time often, maybe every month, to notice & even celebrate our treasures. We are to weep with those who weep, & indeed it seems that this is a season of weeping. But if we don't acknowledge our blessings & rejoice, we will become unbalanced, maybe even bitter, angry & live in a state of discouragement. You know what I have learned by experience? That joy & sorrow can run astride, together. Weeping may endure for a night, but then joy comes to partner with it & make it bearable. It makes the unendurable, endurable. Joy takes the period out of sorrow. Joy is our hope & most important, gives us back a future. Whereas loss & sorrow comes to pass, Joy never does. If we put our hand in Jesus' nail-scarred hand, the sting of the unendurable becomes doable & voila! Joy! 

"The JOY  of the Lord is my (yours too!) strength."

Nehemiah 8:10

Joy, Jesus. The same.

Now, it's time to do your own hunting for your 'Treasures in October' in retrospect, & when you do it with Jesus & His He-Arose tinted glasses, it will give you hope & a future. Happy Hunting!

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Raintree Perk of the Day:

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