Happy September

"I am not the same

having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world."

~Mary Anne Radmacher

September feels like a month of change to me, and always has. I'm sure it has everything to do with the "back to school" of childhood, heading off for a new school year with a new fall wardrobe, new teachers, brand new notebooks, pencils, pens, and expectations. A fresh start.

Even though I'm no longer embarking upon a new school year, that sense of beginning anew in September has always remained with me. Perhaps it's because I know the official start of Fall, my favorite season, is just around the corner. Each morning, I walk out the door with the anticipation of crisp autumn air and the scent of freshly-fallen leaves. Those parts of Fall will likely not show up until next month, for summer is still going strong here in Michigan, with the hot sun and the buzzing of summer's insects all around.

Although I know I must live in the present and enjoy the last glorious days summer has to offer us, I can't help but feel giddy with excitement at the thought of all the lovely things to come: football games, bright orange pumpkins, spiced cider, cozy sweaters and scarves, crunching leaves, new TV programs, fuzzy slippers, apples dipped in caramel, thoughts of Halloween...

So to help bring me back to the here and now, I am currently busy planning uses for my herb garden and trying to find recipes to relish summer's best fruits and vegetables until I can enjoy them again next year.

Welcome, September, though I can hardly believe you're here already!