“Indoor plants” still happily thriving outdoors making cozy homes for little brown and green lizards

Collections of seeds and shells and other love that mother earth lay down in our stomping grounds

branch creatures

tender-hearted brothers…  “When you are a big huge man you will be able to pick your own stickers off your sweater”, (said in a deep three-year old man voice of course)…

Kale chips and honey roasted peanuts courtesy of an amazing co-op right down that road

Jerusalem artichokes harvested.  While neither from Jerusalem nor artichokes they as are confusing as they are delicious.  Sunchokes!  

This time of year, when the weather turns and the days are short, often rainy and always crisp, I can’t help but feel a general pang of homesickness.  It seems as though around each corner there is something to reminisce over.  Something to bring me back to the ease of life near by to family.

With Thanksgiving on the forefront, I have to keep my chin up, for this year it will be spent down here with us four hillbillies, a few cats, a surprisingly tiny dog, and of course those squawking ladies who so kindly give up their eggs each afternoon.  There has been talk of joining kind friends, there has been hopes for a camping trip, and of course there is much discussion of pies and cobblers and betties and crisps and pandowdy’s….

Surely I have spent many a fourth thursday’s in November with out the familiar rhythm of my childhood thanksgiving, but with the boys getting “bigger” and my heart growing with them- Well? I just wanna go home…

The gifts of a warmish southern autumn will keep on giving I am sure.  And I cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye will notice and enjoy all I can.  But a little piece of me will be dreaming of the cold ocean sounds, the crunch of a maple leaf, the convenience of best friends next door, and of course my Mama’s Apple Pie.  You just can’t replicate that.  No matter how hard I try.