The ABC's of Autumn

I LOVE AUTUMN!!!

Autumn, apples, apple pie ...
Birds flying south, blankets, baked potatoes, a hot bath, burberry ...
Colourful trees, corn, chili, corn bread, warm cognac, cranberry sauce, cold, crisp air, crocheting, cable-knit sweaters, cozy, cashmere, cider ...
Down comforters, delicious - everything ...
Eating comfort food ...
Fires, flame red leaves, furnace, family, faux fur ...
Gravy (turkey), gloves ...
Hot tubbing, hiking, housecoats, hugs from my grandkids, hot fresh ground, fresh brewed coffee, hats ...
I love autumn!!!!! ...
Jam (homemade) & toast, jeans, jumbalaya ...
Kicking up the leaves after Poppa rakes them up, knitting, kilts ...
Leaves, red, gold, yellow, orange, leotards ...
Mums, mums and more mums (one of my favourite flowers), garlicky mashed potatoes, magazines, movies, maple syrup, muffs, mittens ...
No snow - yet ...
Outside, overcoat ...
Pumpkin pie, plaid jackets & skirts ...
Quiet walks in the ravine with my dog, quilts ...
Rutabaga
Stuffing, slippers, sweaters, scarves, squash, stew, socks, sheepskin ...
Turkey dinner, thanksgiving, tea & a good book, tweeds ...
Uggs, under the blankets ...
Vegetables ...
Whipped cream (unsweetened of course), wool ...
Xtra whipped cream (unsweetened of course) on a small, delicious demitasse of expresso ...
Yams - yum!! ...
Zebra floor cloth (my project for this fall)

Well, there you have some of my favourite ABC's of Autumn ... didn't think I'd come up with one for Q & Z did you?


Autumn

With what a glory comes and goes the year!
The buds of spring, those beautiful harbingers
Of sunny skies and cloudless times, enjoy
Life's newness, and earth's garniture spread out;
And when the silver habit of the clouds
Comes down upon the autumn sun, and with
A sober gladness the old year takes up
His bright inheritance of golden fruits,
A pomp and pageant fill the splendid scene.

There is a beautiful spirit breathing now
Its mellow richness on the clustered trees,
And, from a beaker full of richest dyes,
Pouring new glory on the autumn woods,
And dipping in warm light the pillared clouds.
Morn on the mountain, like a summer bird,
Lifts up her purple wing, and in the vales
The gentle wind, a sweet and passionate wooer,
Kisses the blushing leaf, and stirs up life
Within the solemn woods of ash deep-crimsoned,
And silver beech, and maple yellow-leaved,
Where Autumn, like a faint old man, sits down
By the wayside a-weary. Through the trees
The golden robin moves. The purple finch,
That on wild cherry and red cedar feeds,
A winter bird, comes with its plaintive whistle,
And pecks by the witch-hazel, whilst aloud
From cottage roofs the warbling blue-bird sings,
And merrily, with oft-repeated stroke,
Sounds from the threshing-floor the busy flail.

O what a glory doth this world put on
For him who, with a fervent heart, goes forth
Under the bright and glorious sky, and looks
On duties well performed, and days well spent!
For him the wind, ay, and the yellow leaves,
Shall have a voice, and give him eloquent teachings.
He shall so hear the solemn hymn that Death
Has lifted up for all, that he shall go
To his long resting-place without a tear.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow