Starting point.

Only from the heart can you touch the sky.

~Rumi

Time off.

                                     
started with a birthday cake & ended with a pie. {my kind of holiday}

                                                      

 

   

{if you didn't get your homemade pumpkin pie fix- or even if you did- this is a good recipe.}

 

Spring has sprung.

...and we're doing our very best to rise to the occasion.
                                                   

{venturing into new books.  new endeavors.  new life.}
                                                    

Up.

{This brief article on Mark Ruffalo's decision to leave city life behind has stuck with me in more ways than one.  Aside from the fact that the crush has just increased tenfold.  Here is his response when asked about the transition...}

   

It’s the best thing I could have done for the family as a whole and for the kids in particular. We made a pact to let them be and let them work out their differences on their own. We’re letting them grow a little wild and we step in when it’s essential, but in a lot of ways they figure stuff out on their own and they do it in a way that’s organic and lasts. We live in a small space and we’re really influenced by the natural world around us. Eventually that is reflected in one’s behavior and how you get along with other people. There’s a lot of quiet in the country and there’s a lot of quietness in my children. 

                                                            

image via

...

The weekend was a good one.  As Ryan settles into his new job, life is slowly calming down~ which is a good thing.  Still in school... oh, and a very long commute (during the training period)... but the air is clearing, the fog is lifting, the tide is turning... the noise is quieting.  

Slowly. 

But surely.
  

Lately...

...we've been craving nature... fresh air... laughter... lightheartedness... trees... leaves... togetherness...  
apple donuts.

so, on saturday, we ventured out & found it.  all of the above.

...a new [old] tradition that leaves us with warm hearts, renewed spirits, & lots & lots of apples.

 

Season of change.

    

We may not be able to control the forecast, but we most definitely control the menu.  When you combine summer's end with autumn's arrival~ magical moments are created in your very own kitchen.  Moments that entail late summer plum pudding cakes, and slow roasted tomatoes... banana fig bread and roasted red bell pepper pesto... savory pumpkin & goat cheese risotto stirred with a crisp glass of rosé in hand, and enjoyed with a deep dark glass of red.

Fall may not have made it's way outdoors, but right here, right now, within our four walls, it is happening.

Not only do we run the show when it comes to our daily menu, but we are also in full command of our daily calenders.  Just another way to set the tone, rather than letting the temperature tone set us.  To celebrate the arrival of a new season, to initiate change where needed, and to {intentionally} keep some things just as they are.  As much as I am ready to welcome the season of slouchy knits & black leggings... scented candles & cozy blankets... soups & stews & pies & warm beverages galore... there are a few elements that I am not quite ready to remove from the "schedule".  

As I plot out the calendar, or take on a new day... a new week- I'm making a concerted effort to embrace the renewing, invigorating, warm & welcoming essence of autumn, while holding on to a bit of the youthful spirit that summer exudes.  Many more seasonal meals be made... favorite old & new traditions to enjoy {especially this one :)}.
 

{Please join me in continuing the conversation over at Pink Moon Daily, to discuss this quintessential 'holding-onto-summer-while-embracing-autumn' tradition, as well as this "transitional" month, a little further...}

 

The in-between.

The term "Indian summer" usually implies a second-wind (or wave I should say) of heat- high temperatures, sunny skies, dry conditions- making its way in just after the first frost.  Here in southern California- it takes on a bit of a new meaning... seeing that we don't really have a break from HEAT frost period- other then maybe a few fleeting moments of rain (as was the case the other day, when those glorious clouds rolled, the breeze set forth, the drizzle began... & then two minutes later- it was all over).  Fall can be tricky that way.  Each September, as the kids settle back into school, "fall" line-ups are everywhere in site- t.v. shows, clothing racks, magazine covers... it lures its way in, with its bright orange pumpkins, and golden acorn squash... its shorter days and longer nights- and even few [very, very] brief moments of "crisp" gracing the early morning air...  But when all is said and done, Summer is not even close to leaving the building.

In fact, for us- it's the season of "hot-getting-hotter"... the dog days of summer.  And it'll continue on right up until November... till that rain takes off its hat and decides to stay a while longer... longer than 2 minutes.

But hey, at least it's consistent, right?

And, who can complain about a "season" which offers endless culinary possibilities?  A season in which iced coffee can still be enjoyed on a late afternoon... an oven that houses both a pot of rich bolognese and a tart apple crisp.

Not I.  

HOTNESS aside, the "in-between" might not be so bad after all.

Please head over to Pink Moon Daily today, as we discuss the matter a bit further... beyond the garden gates.