Dear Family and Friends,

It was a lovely feeling to wake up this morning and know that Daylight Savings Time was behind me now...at least for a few months. Most of us in the northern part of the State of Indiana share these same thoughts. You could almost hear the sighs of relief as the hands of time were set back this morning. It was, however, advantageous to have an extra hour of sleep!

The gods also have spoken on this last Sunday in October...the weather was spectacular. I have spent the day just breathing. It is the perfect day to fall in love! Someone actually was burning leaves and the scent permeated the entire neighborhood. Even though we aren't supposed to do it...it was lovely knowing that someone did it anyway. Most of us raked and hauled our leaves to the curb to be picked up by the city for recycling at our local 4-H campground. They blew away as fast as I raked them up, but oh, who could stay inside on a day like this?

When we built our farmhouse years ago, we were in the middle of a field with no trees around the house. I missed the beauty, I missed the raking so much that a friend of mine actually loaded up her pick up truck with leaves and dumped them all on the top of Windy Hill Farm. I was charmed when I returned home to find scarlet and tangerine jewels upon my front porch. Within hours they had been swooshed away by the Autumn winds, but oh how lovely for a few moments.

I find great joy and great beauty in these last of Autumn Days. The sky is startlingly blue as a background for the last of the leaves to make their final cascade. When my children were little, we always enjoyed these last days of Autumn by working in the garden. We dug potatoes for the root cellar, filled every container possible with apple cider from the antique press, preserved gallons of sauerkraut in a large crock, hung onions in braids around the old kitchen, picked the last of the flowers and set them out in jars, and stacked firewood for the kitchen stove. Bedtime meant poems and stories, and then I would spend my evenings knitting their hats and mittens!

Last night was the yearly ghost stories show at Pokagon State Park with my friend, Steve. It was our 15th year at the park and our 18th year total to share the ghost story stage. We had over 400, although the attendance was down a bit due to 40 m.p.h. winds and sleet! The park always decorates the shelter with pumpkins and a roaring fire...with the lights off, we share stories for about four hours (two groups!) My favorite is the adult show which is late in the evening, and our best crowd! We found a dead bat when putting up the speakers...perfect ambience! When the shows were over, Steve drove me down to my car (it was too dark and scary to walk!) and I commented that in years to come I wonder if the echoes of our voices on Halloween will haunt the park. He gave me a strange look!

My small town is full of these Autumn rituals this week end. I love walking late in the evening to see the glow of pumpkins in windows and on old porches. My own house is decked with strung orange lights, one fake pumpkin and one huge hand-carved pumpkin with stars and moons on my front stoop. I still haven't decided what to be for Halloween..usually I play the Bride of Frankenstein. They children (as do the parents!) love all the bother! I light all the candles on my candelabra, as I play The Phantom of the Opera, and greet each youngster with long red painted fingernails! One year I took a job on Halloween night, and all I could think about was my dark, empty house!

This week's poem is a children's poem that I read my children when they were small..it was written by Rose Flynn, and is timeless.

October

The summer is over,
The trees are all bare,
There is mist in the garden
And frost in the air.
The meadows are empty
And gathered the sheaves--
But isn't it lovely
Kicking up leaves!

John from the garden
Has taken the chairs;
It's dark in the evening
And Cold on the stairs,
Winter is coming
And everyone grieves--
But isn't it lovely
Kicking up leaves!

A Happy Birthday to my Mom on Halloween Day! I know she will remember when the six of us children were all young and would spread out our Halloween treats for her on the night of her birthday!

My book this week is a new release that promises to have much dialogue, Suite Francaise, by Irene Nemirovsky. Pick it up at your local library and let me know what you think of it! Last year this week I read The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I recommend them both!

Darkness will soon be upon us (sooner that yesterday!) I'll light my pumpkin, curl up with my book and listen to the wind blow.

Welcome new readers to Sunday Passage!

Happy Halloween!

Love to all,

Lou Ann

....that it will never come again is what makes life so sweet...Emily Dickinson

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