Sweet September

September is my favorite month. It used to be November, and that still ranks pretty high, but I discovered September a few years back and it just keeps getting better.

As a child, September had all the classic associations: school starting and all the related excitement, crisper air and bluer skies, the anticipation of fall colors, etc. For years and years that's all it was- and the beginning of school overwhelmed most of those other things. Then, in 2000, we spent the month of September at my mother-in-law's house in northern Utah. Sonja was not quite a year old, and I was her full-time caretaker. Quinn was in between an internship and the next year of graduate school, so we had a month to spend with his family. Sonja learned to walk and spent so much quality time with Grandma. It was so great that we did it again the next year.

It was a time of discovery for me as well. Her backyard was the most magnificent garden I have ever seen. There were fruit trees: plum, pear, apricot, white nectarine, and 2 kinds of apple. There were vegetables galore: zucchini, several varieties of peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, onions, potatoes, and corn. I never liked pears before I had them ripened straight off the tree. I remember feeling so grateful for the God-given miracle of growing food.

We had grown a big garden for a number of years when I was a kid, but I was too young to really get it. But while we were in Utah those two Septembers, ALL the fruits and vegetables were ripening. There was some serious harvesting to do- every day! It was so very enjoyable to wander out each morning with Sonja and two baskets and bring in the bounty. We made some great meals. After living in apartments for so long (without much green around), those Septembers soothed my soul. Oh, and the weather was absolutely perfect.

Since then, I have begun to notice how much I like September. The weather has been beautiful in most of the places we've lived. Vermont's September is marvelous. Most tourists miss it because it's pre-color, but it is really great. I have a different perspective on the beginning of school now. It means more structure for Quinn, Sonja, and Laurel. It means quiet peaceful hours for Torin and me to take a walk, play outside, or read books uninterrupted. And when he's asleep- goodness me- I hardly know what to do.

One of the best things about September is that I stop and appreciate the glorious world around me. I see the full variety of early fall colors in the zinnias, calendula and sunflowers, the grass, trees, and sky; I smell the air and feel the wind again; I taste the fruits of whatever labor I was able to perform in the garden over the summer... and it is all very sweet.

What's your favorite month?