Celebrating October in Style

What could be better than this time of year? The colors, smells, and cooler weather are a time to rejoice. It's fun to begin by gathering leaves, nuts, straw, acorns, pine cones, and corn husks to craft into door wreaths.  Fall is a favorite with so many people that we have created holidays and festivals to enjoy throughout the season. Lots of things to do. Places to go. People to meet. 



Hands of Love
Of course, our ancestors didn't need to make special days, it just naturally happened with all the gathering of farm crops; a lot of work for sure! More work than most of us would willingly want to do. Although, obviously, we still have farms to grow our food, sadly, we have much less of them in the 21st century. 

So, whether we are farmers, or not, having time to celebrate the harvest is a very good thing! During October and way into November, we can be thankful for all the blessings we have received by continuing or even creating new traditions for ourselves and our families.

Hearts of Gold
Harvest is a time for celebrating many crops that are grown and picked all over the U.S. at this time of year. Depending on what part of the country we live in, apples, grapes, corn, and pecans are among the many Fall crops that can all be enjoyed. Farmers especially in Virginia, North Carolina, and Washington are busy plucking apples, the Northern Midwest states are knee deep in the Corn Belt, and New England wades in the cranberries. [A bit of disclaimer here: I am definitely not a farmer, so don't shoot the messenger, o.k. - smile!]  

Harvest of Pumpkins
Pumpkins grow best in full sun. So it's a bit curious the Top Five states for pumpkin growing are Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California. They are, of course, popular anywhere in the Fall. Many towns have pumpkin farms open to the public so people can pick their own. These are sometimes combined with baking competitions, horseback rides, and hayrides. Most have country stores that sell handcrafted items and yummy homemade goods. It wouldn't be the same without the jams, apple butter, and pumpkin pie. What a delight!  

Combine these for a Quick Treat: Pumpkin Chocolate Yogurt
Greek yogurt
Pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin
Honey
Cinnamon
Cocoa powder

Enjoy. Nothing easier!

"You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance" (Psalms 65:11 NLT).