Octobre

Dear Whoever You Might Be,

October

• Color- As per the usual month/color combination, this month the color is orange. Now, I know what you are thinking; Duh she picked orange because October is the month of Halloween. Duh she picked it because the leaves are starting to turn orange. Duh. Duh. Duh. Well all those things are true, I admit. But see, I have this jacket...The color is a burnt yellowish/orangish/pumpkin spicish. When you think of fall, you think of a color, right? Well this jacket is the epitome of that color. Yesterday I wore it with a white oxford and blue skinnies and I just felt SO fetch fall. People even told me that I looked like fall. This color makes me feel like I'm bathing in pumpkin pie and floating among the trees. Weird imagery, but ya'll get the point.
• Book- To keep myself from yet *another* rant about how I have no time to read any of the things I want to, I'll switch it up. Last October I wrote THIS POST about all the wonderful Octoberish things -including books. While I still think those books are all prime for October reading, I would also like to recommend Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. I recently recommended this book to a dear friend of mine for fall reading. It contains romance, mystery, and most importantly, the pivotal gothic elements required for the best fire-side reading. So if you are looking for something good, consider picking it up. Warning: The paperback edition of this book DOES look like a romance novel. Please do not be deterred by its appearance.
• Song- One of the most soulful women in the world must be Billie Holiday. She sings, you/me/everyone feels something. Her version of I'll Be Seeing You is one that gets me every time. Listen to it. Need I say more?

I don't really have a specialty of the month, but I hope you all are having special Octobers.

 

                                                                         Sincerely,

                                                                                Me

Crunchity Crunch

Dear Whoever You Might Be,

      Now that it officially feels like fall, I figure I would give you all a little treat. I found this gem among some old, dusty papers from my high school youth of writing ambition. Here it is, and I hope you get a little kick out of it. =)

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Crunch the leaves. They are falling just to fulfill their service to be crunched. What other reason does the tapestry of color have other than to glide from gravity to the earth? What other purpose do leaves have other than filling ears with the perfectly pitched crackle underneath brown leather boots? Yellow. Red. Brown. Orange. Nature’s perfection in the loftiest form. Lofty even when piled on the dirt. The most precious past time of every single autumn is walking along a lane lined with these majestic trees which serve as trellises to everything right in the world. Breathe in the crisp air. Are you breathing? Can’t you almost taste the leaves? As you walk, look for the crunchiest leaves. Not all of them will fill the musical void, but when they do, one cannot help but smile. Be like a child and make a game of it. Seek out the crunchers and only step on those. Stretch your legs far and wide if necessary. Skip, hop, and leap.  But most importantly, crunch away.

Crunch the time. With the gusts of winds and tropical downpours, the leaves aren’t promised to last long. The golden glow will fade as the daylight turns dusk earlier and earlier.  Daylight savings is approaching. The hours to relish in the iridescent treetops will die out too soon for anyone’s liking.  Spend the remaining time outside as much as possible. Stand with turned up necks. Blink only when your eyes can’t stand the breeze. Breathe deeply. Just do it. You may feel like a tree hugging fool, but you won’t regret it. You cannot possibly imagine the inner peace which will encompass your entire being, just by looking at the leaves. Since time moves faster than conceivably possible, crunch it into precious and memorable moments.  Take pictures, write a poem, and hold onto one for nostalgia. But crunch the time into only positive experiences.

Crunch the food. In those moments when the weather is cruel and forbidding, and you are forced to remain indoors in front of a roasting fire, wearing flannels and watching TCM Classics, do a little baking. The picture I painted for you isn’t a bad one by any means.  In truth, it sounds rather perfect. So spend some time in the kitchen.  Even if you don’t have Martha Stuart style or Emeril skill, turn up some Bronze Radio Return and set the oven to 450. The number of recipes for cakes, breads, cookies and muffins is unequivocal. Think about the number of yummy ingredients this weather permits. Walnuts, chestnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, and more. They add texture to your meals and to your life. It may not seem like it, but it does. After slaving over your pristine Kitchen Aid mixer for hours, there is nothing more satisfying than sitting in wool socks, sipping hot tea and salivating over your fresh out of the over baked goods. A pinch of sugar, spice, and everything crunchy is all it takes.

Crunch away my fellow autumnal experiencers. Crunch away.

                                                                Sincerely,

                                                                         Me