October, I love you so.

October is my favorite month. I love waking up to frosty sagebrush and falling asleep to swirling tree branches. October food bursts with warming spices. Our gardens and kitchens overflow with tomatoes, pears, apples, beets, pumpkins, and squash. The mountains reverberate with bright reds and yellows. To me, October is “home sweet home” on the calendar. 

Last year, I spent the entire fall season sick in bed, or working at my desk wishing I was in bed. As a result, I’m determined to celebrate the frosty-breaths, hot drinks, and changing colors more than ever. Recent celebrations included picking plums from my Grandma’s trees and making my six month-old a large batch of frozen baby food. Later when we didn’t know what to do with their overflowing pear tree, I steamed them to make even more!

We recently celebrated my birthday with family in Wyoming. After a day of hiking, drawing, and breastfeeding (mainly breastfeeding), I saw my mom sitting by the garden holding my son. It was a beautiful brisk fall evening. I was washing beets under the outdoor spigot while my grandparents “winterized” their house. I could have sworn there were fairies in the air. As I looked around, I felt overwhelming gratitude for everything in sight. This is the stuff of life, I thought.

I love October.