fall magic...

This time of year, the grassy paths I take to greet chickens and goats are covered with leaves. Leaves that break the morning quiet with their "crunch, crunch"  and leaves that look as if I'm walking on a vintage paisley carpet. The bright cherry red and mustard yellow colors of October have been replaced with browns and golds, and the trees are bare, but that's okay...it signals a time to stack wood, fill the pantry, and snuggle in for the winter to come.

Early November always reminds me of my first college Design class...the instructor took us outside in November to teach us about Shibui ... designing with the colors of late fall. Along with the colors there are 7 design elements...simplicity, implicity, modesty, naturalness, everydayness, imperfection, and silence.  To me, those sum up autumn perfectly.

Last night we had our first fire in the fireplace, and today the flannel sheets go on the beds...two sure signs the weather has turned and it's time to get cozy! Autumn in our part of the country has been unusual this year...truly, temperatures were in the 90's one week, then dipped down into the 50's with no going back. Daytime temperatures are hovering around 40 and and our lowest night has been 18.  Brrr!

But before the winter winds blow and we're doing a happy dance because of snow days from school, I wanted to share one of my "never stop making wishes" moments.

No, this isn't about Maizy, but about tinkering with the idea of a farm stand. When fall came and it was time to prepare the garden for it's winter nap, I gathered all the final veggies and decided to make a little roadside stand. 

I pulled together an old window I found tucked in the barn along with retro chalkboards and paired them with a cheery tablecloth, honor box, and signs.  My first customer stopped before I could finish setting up!

Paper bags were filled with Brandywine and Amish paste tomatoes, jalapeño, banana, bell, and salsa peppers, small red and yellow potatoes, and a little recipe card.

While I don't want to commit right now to every Saturday at the Farmers' Market on the town square, this was a simple way to offer extra goodies from our garden. It was nothing big, but fun to do!

I'm already making plans for next year...how about Mason jars of sunflowers or cottage garden bouquets? Herbs...fresh and dried?  And jars of raw honey as well!

But that's next summer...for now we'll enjoy the season we are in. Time to watch the full moon rise while the fire crackles, listen to the owl in the white pine, and enjoy every minute of harvest and home.