..for my wonderful CS family! May the abundance of the harvest manifest in ways both large and small with perfect love and balance in your life.

~Heather xxx ooo

There's a frost advisory for tonight and the great race to hold what's left in my gardens begins! It's amazing how long you can stretch out your harvest into the autumn. Herbal Pagan's column, The Garden Gate, this month gives some great advise on how you can do that! Check it out... The first frost always puts me in mind of this poem... in two versions.

WHEN THE FROST IS ON THE PUNKIN

by: James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916)

• HEN the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock,

  And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock,

  And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens,

  And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;

  O, it's then's the times a feller is a-feelin' at his best,

  With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,

  As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,

  When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

  
  

  They's something kindo' harty-like about the atmusfere

  When the heat of summer's over and the coolin' fall is here--

  Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossums on the trees,

  And the mumble of the hummin'-birds and buzzin' of the bees;

  But the air's so appetizin'; and the landscape through the haze

  Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days

  Is a pictur' that no painter has the colorin' to mock--

  When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

  
  

  The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn,

  And the raspin' of the tangled leaves, as golden as the morn;

  The stubble in the furries--kindo' lonesome-like, but still

  A-preachin' sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill;

  The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed;

  The hosses in theyr stalls below--the clover over-head!--

  O, it sets my hart a-clickin' like the tickin' of a clock,

  When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock!

  
  

  Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps

  Is poured around the celler-floor in red and yeller heaps;

  And your cider-makin' 's over, and your wimmern-folks is through

  With their mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and saussage, too! ...

  I don't know how to tell it--but ef sich a thing could be

  As the Angels wantin' boardin', and they'd call around on me--

  I'd want to 'commodate 'em--all the whole-indurin' flock--

  When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock!

...and of course, there's the ever favorite off color version! Ha!

When the weathers hot and sticky,
It's not the time for dunkin' dicky...
But when the frost is on the pumpkin,
Now thats the time for dicky dunkin'.

Hope your week is going well. Blessings and love to all... xxx ooo

PS ~ Just in case someone needed to know what a fodder shock is...

Most often seen as decoration these days but at one time, not too long ago, it was an easy way to feed the farm critters in the field and a very cool hide out for a wee one! Fond memories...

Full Moon in Pisces
Harvest Moon
Monday, September 15, 2008
5:13am EDT
22º 54’

I’m not sure that I can convey with words… but I’ll try.

I was restless all day yesterday. After such a wonderful Saturday full of little pleasures I was looking forward to a restful Sunday of reflection before this morning’s full moon. I just couldn’t get myself to quiet down even though I spent most of the day lounging around, listening to Will play and leisurely reading. It was too hot and humid to do much else really. At midnight I finally decide I’d better try and sleep only to awakened, a bit after 3am, by the wind. It called me with warm southern gusts that rattled the house…  Ok, I’m up, I’m up! The next couple of hours are spent on the back deck, au natural, in full moon shine with the warmest wind telling me its secrets and in the embrace of my love.

My advice for the day… “Attend the wind”

Full moon blessings and love… xxx ooo

Hestia, Athenian red-figure kylix C5th B.C., National Museum, Tarquinia

Hi friends! (((group hug))) How is everyone? Continually slow & pleasant days on this end. Canning rush is over and just a few stragglers need to be tended to… pumpkins, of course… still a few strawberries (gotta love those ever-bearing plants!), some melons and yes, the tomatoes are still going strong but they’re slowing down a bit, thank goodness. I was having trouble getting canning jars, lol. I’ve harvested a second time from the herbs and will have a nice little supply here for the dark months. Granted they’re hanging all over the kitchen but I kind of like that look so it’s all good :P There’s not a whole lot of room in here as it is and now I’m bringing in the shrubbery, ha! I brought all the house plants in yesterday afternoon too! Yikes!!

I want a summer kitchen! Does anyone remember those? If I didn’t have to heat the damn thing I’d live in an old New England farm house just to get one. (been there, done that) The one at Aunt Grace & Uncle George’s would be perfect, thank you. It wrapped around one side of the house, fully screened, TONS of counter space and fabulous old gas range with lots of burner surface.  Really, how can any earth mother be complete without one? As I just said to a dear friend... I seem to want to draw everything to me that’s important at this time of year… it’s primal. I love it.

Sale at the Landis Arboretum this weekend!! I may buy one item… “Goddess grant me strength!” Anyone who wants to add their energy to that, feel free! I could spend the rent money there!

Gearing up for the full moon and then a trip to Herbal Pagan’s paradise for Mabon! It’s the anniversary of my pagan awakening, 22 yrs ago… my, how time flies. I don’t regret a single minute and I'm really looking forward to spending time immersed in my witchy loves. <3 Does a soul good, know what I mean?

Hope everyone has a good weekend and a candle burns for all who require my magic. It’s pretty strong lately, lol… my magic, I mean :P But be warned… it’s heavy with Hestia’s touch! You may find yourself suddenly drawn to baking bread over a hearth fire :)

Blessings and love… xxx ooo

...in my opinion! The Tao and it's wisdom have always made perfect sense to me. Sometimes the circumstances in my life cloud the message and it's daily execution (I'm no monk!) but it's very close to the surface most all the time.

Simple as that... xxx ooo