Gourds purchased from Kruger’s Farm Stand in St. John’s, Portland (the farm is on Sauvie Island).
Autumn is a time of contradictions. The crispness and color feel like a fresh start; but at the same time, we know it’s the end, and winter’s right around the corner.
Watching the leaves fall should remind us of the power of letting go; yet, we see the squirrels scurrying around with their walnuts, and know that it is also the time to begin hunkering down.
I guess to be succesful in life we have to maintain the balance of preserving the harvest, and just letting go – leaving behind the abundance that was in anticipation of new seasons to come.
Spicy Butternut Squash. Recipe from The Indian Slow Cooker by Anupy Singla.
When I learned to ride a horse, they actually teach you how to fall. You practice falling over and over again, so that when you actually do fall off the horse, your body will remember how to do it correctly.
I don’t know how we do that in life. All I know is that I have my autumn routines that mean something to me – making soup again, cooking with apples and squashes, buying gourds, burning rich incense or cinnamon scented candles, listening to Nick Drake, and planting bulbs and seeds that will be ready in the spring. I go about these routines quietly, thoughtfully, and I try to live the contradiction.
