Really, what’s not to love about October – a month filled with autumn goodness and gifts of nature.
In honor of my favorite month, the 10th month of the year, here are 10 reasons why I love October.
- Weather. The sunny days and cool nights are (for me) perfect. Oh, yes, I love a warm summer evening rain and the sunny days make the garden grow, but a crisp fall night is fabulous.
- Sweaters. The cool weather leads to layers of T-shirts, sweaters, and denim jackets – my fall wardrobe essentials. Sweaters go with boots and scarves. Aww, I am cozy just thinking about the causal comfort of fall layers.
- Leaves. Those colorful leaves! It might be one tree at the corner of your block or a mountainside covered in hundreds of trees; either way, fall color is a masterpiece of nature. Leaf color results from the perfect combination of sun, cool nights, and water. The intensity varies from year to year, but fall leaves are always worth spending the afternoon on a backroad soaking in the beauty.
- Clean-up. Raking the leaves, clearing the garden, and preparing for spring are ways to wrap up the garden chores for the year. I use time to make note of changes or additions that need to happen in the garden the following year.
- Fireplaces. That first fire of the year – oh yeah. It may be built on the patio, a fire pit in the driveway, or an open field – but an outdoor fire will attract friends. Maybe you’re like me, and your fire is indoors and enjoyed from the living room. It doesn’t matter to me; a controlled fire is a comforting beacon for friends and a way to relax in the evening.
- Pumpkins. I love pumpkins and go a little overboard when buying gourds and pumpkins. I pick the deep orange, odd-shaped, wart-covered ones. They have character and blend nicely with the white, green, and other colored ones I bring home. The fall fruit in different sizes mix with decorations inside and outside the little house on a big hill.
Did you catch that I called pumpkins a fruit? Technically, because they begin as a flower or blossom, they are classified as a fruit.
- Soup. Broth has its place, but I like a hearty soup – one that is filled with vegetables, noodles, and lentils. There is something about chopping, combining, and cooking a pot of soup that fills me with joy. In the past, the Christmas holidays were a busy work time for me. Entertaining in the fall with different soups served in carved-out pumpkins, bread, and cheese became my thing. It is a tradition that has continued through the years.
- Marigolds and Cosmos. The birthday flowers of October. These may not be my favorite flowers, but I appreciate what they add to the garden. Marigolds symbolize courage, creativity, passion, and peace. They give the garden a bright yellow, orange, and deep red color, plus the smell keeps deer and insects from nibbling on tender plants.
- Cake and ice cream. October birthdays mean cake and ice cream. I have a favorite, but really any cake will do. When it comes to ice cream, I’m a plain jane and will choose vanilla or strawberry 90% of the time.
- Friends. An October birthday means hearing from friends. Cards, phone calls, surprise visits, lunches, and dinners. Often these touches last for days and make that birthday feeling last long after the day has pasted.
I am one of the lucky ones who has an October birthday. A day, a week, or even two if I play my cards right (wink wink) that is filled with all that I love about October is a reminder that as the seasons change and the trees shed their leaves, as we get a year older, life is as glorious as an autumn day.
