Hello, loves! How do you do? Welcome October. Happy Fall… A new season greets!
Each year, I am so happy to return to this time of year with it’s familiar metaphors. Like a moth to light, I get sucked right into the catharsis manifest in all that is both abundant and fading. There is a reason I live with this seasons.
We’ve been spending our free time these last weeks digging our feet in the dirt out back— a kiss of red blushing the green cheeked timbers that surround us— tilling a new section of the field for planting fall cover crops in preparation of a bigger garden next year.
In the air of soil and smoke, I continue to get taken back by way working the land keeps me hopeful and flexible, curious and reasonable. My arms catch a tremor from the whirling engine, but I don’t forget why we are here.
The blisters from raking and pulling invasive roots feel worth the work and meaning. My muscles end up sore, but thankful… And, with their gratitude, I am drawn deeper into care… A hot pot of soup. A cold spicy juice. A warm salted bath. Grapes. Steam, sweat, fire. Candy apples. The stretched rubber band.
Normally, in fall, I am meditating on the way roots are giving their energy to growing deeper into cozy soil still warm from the sun. But, this year, the harvest is meeting me like a needle in loose earth. I destroy connections that have been restrictive and toxic. I cautiously pull poison ivy from the deep… I untangle the strangling vines... I rid the night of bittersweet... working to reduce harm. Then, tending to a delicate, energetic short lived life— the care crop is sown for sacrificial renewal.
Pantomiming in mimicry, I follow the detoxing rituals of trees. They begin shaking off expired skin, releasing, letting go, unburdening… Contemplating the season’s that have been heavy and ripe and old. I bare my structure, as they do, down to the sticks.
I can’t see the loss, now, as anything but pure, clear, freeing. There is no more ache, no grip, no claw, no defeat or gloom for what will no longer be had. There is no resignation in the purification. No sorrow for the loss, only trust for what is to come. The empty branch remains open, accepting, and alive. It is welcome and ready.
Made of sturdy and sharp metal, polished gold scaffolding, and unarmored pennies for thought— I can almost hear the sound of a gong going silent, marking the end and beginning of something, multi-dimensional. Drops in the bucket, in the fountains. Fruition kept in a hungry glass jar. It is the applause of time, reaping what has been grown.
A tilt of orbit signifies a return to genesis, to the very start. It is the end and the beginning. The path might feel like journeying in endless circles, like the dragon catching its tail. But we warm our toes with the fading warmth the exhale—the moments made complete, whole, infinite as the Autumn’s next breath.
In spring, we sow, with a promise made. In fall, we seed for blankets. The true jewel is the one, returned—the bead of sweat from the plant, given freely, delivered back to the origin. The trust of a promise kept.
RECIPE: Honey Nut Squash Gnocchi in Garlic Oil
Ingredients:
Honey Nut Squash, 1 cup
Parmesan, 1 cup
Egg, 1
Flour, 1 1/2+
-
Olive Oil
Herbs
Garlic
Poppy Flower
Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half, length-wise, scoop out seeds, and roast cut side down on a cookie sheet until soft, about 35 mins. Remove from oven, and allow to cool.
In a large bowl, start by mixing grated parmesan cheese with egg. Add the cooled, roasted squash and a pinch of salt to the cheese and egg and mix well. Then, add flour to the bowl, mixing with care. After a few stirs, you will want to switch to your hands, turning your dough out of the bowl onto a clean counter. Handling your dough gently, knead lightly 5 or six times- just to make sure the flour is well combined. Do not overwork the dough. The dough will be slightly sticky. Add a little more flour to the surface as needed.
Place a large pot of water on to boil.
Cut your ball of dough into 4 pieces, then roll each piece into a long snake like shape. Then, using the side of a fork, piece off your gnocchi, using your thumb as a measurement to create little pillow shaped bites. Continue adding flour to keep things from sticking. Once all my gnocchi are cut, I will run them down the back of a fork to create little grooves for texture.
When your water is boiling, add salt. Then boil gnocchi for 3-4 minutes until they float to the surface. Strain.
In a shallow pan, heat a few tablespoons of oil at medium high heat. Add fresh sage and chervil (or whatever herbs you like) to the oil and fry for a few minutes, till crisp. Remove herbs to a plate. Then, add a few cloves of minced garlic to the oil and cook briefly before adding the cooked gnocchi to the pan. Toss well to coat gnocchi with herb and garlic oil. Serve topped with crispy herbs, more parmesan, and a few poppy petals, if you have them.
Serves 2
HERB: Garlic
The taste associated with fall is pungency. Think garlic, horseradish, peppercorn, hot peppers… Garlic is a staple around here, finding it’s way into most of our savory dishes.
Historically, garlic has been used as a health remedy to support digestive health, treat respiratory issues like coughs and bronchitis, and as an anti-fungal agent. Chinese practitioners recognized garlic's warming properties, using it to improve circulation and combat cold conditions.
Garlic consumption may reduce the risk of certain cancers, particularly stomach, colon, and esophageal cancers. Its sulfur compounds are thought to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and prevent cancerous tumors from spreading.
EMOTION: Worry
Grief and worry are emotions associated with the season of fall. I think the two get a bad wrap, but in general, there are no bad emotions. The key is keeping our various emotions in balance. Allowing our emotions to serve as useful bits of information about what we need helps us do this.
I am not much of an expert on anything, but, I am sort of known for my worries—specifically about cancer… (Shout out to Breast Cancer Awareness Month— schedule your scannnnns!) I do care, and deeply, about the topic of cancer. It’s so near to my heart, it would feel crazy not to worry, some.
After a great deal of listening into the concerns of my heart, I’d like to think I have refined my skill of worry over the last five years—boding with my worries with the utmost care. Making an art of it. Allowing my worries to guide me toward useful actions.
More than anything, worry (like anxiety) is an indication that something matters. Just as grief is an indication of the presence of love and loss.
Check in with yourself: How do you feel about the emotion of worry? Do you feel comfortable and safe accepting and expressing your concerns? What are some ways worry might benefit you? What do you think the emotion asks of you when it appears?
Name a couple strategies for breaking free from patterns of avoidance and rumination.
SPAIN UPDATE:
For paid subscribers following along on our slow-going Spanish home-buying adventure, I wanted to offer our most recent update! With a tiny photo sneak peek into the front courtyard…
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