I hope you’ve all been enjoying “October’s bright blue weather”! Here are some other things I’ve enjoyed over the past month.

Read

When I read book series aloud to the kids I prefer to alternate with other titles. We have finished the Penderwicks and the Indian in the Cupboard series, but are still in the middle of the Chronicles of Narnia and the Vanderbeekers series. In October we finished The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

I’m not always a fan of collage illustrations, but Kitten’s Autumn by Canadian author/illustrator Eugenie Fernandes knocked it out of the park. I love the inclusion of real pine cones and leaves along with the clay creatures (chickadee, rabbit, porcupine, etc.). Perfect for reading with an almost two-year-old!

Eat

I put a picture of quince at the top of this post even though the quince tart we made for Thanksgiving was a bust (maybe our ornamental quince isn’t the best for eating or maybe the half teaspoon of Chinese five spice was a big mistake… either way the tart was too sour for our taste). I also roasted a turkey for Thanksgiving with cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, and the like.

Loaded breakfast potato skins from this cookbook were a hit with my kids.

It’s chili season and this year my go-to recipe is the adaptable version in an eight-year-old Fine Cooking magazine!

Do

Around the time of the first frost I saw a chickadee or two in our yard and decided to put up our bird feeder. It soon attracted cardinals, juncos, nuthatches, sparrows, house finches, chickadees, and we even spotted a couple of goldfinches in the tree nearby. But… a chipmunk also found the feeder. When I spotted two chipmunks stuffing their cheeks, I decided to take the feeder down until they go into hibernation. I hope we can still attract lots of birds this winter. Watching them is my favourite thing to do when I’m working in the kitchen.

Like last month, we did quite a bit of hiking in October and Andrew even finished running the Sydenham section of the Bruce Trail! I also saw Walter’s Falls, which means I’ve visited all eight waterfalls in the area.

I participated in the online Schole Sisters retreat for the third year in a row. This year the theme was habits; as you can imagine it was convicting, but it also offered practical help.

Last weekend was the takeout fundraiser dinner for the local pregnancy centre. The food was good and we had some friends over to share it. (Bonus: they took our kids canoeing beforehand!)

Another friend invited me to the Georgian Bay Symphony — their first live performance since Covid. It was so fun to get out of the house for an evening event and there were even fancy cupcakes after the concert. 🙂 The first half of the program was Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy and the second half was contemporary music by local composers.

On Saturday we went to a Reformation Day Party. The kids dressed up as characters from Pilgrim’s Progress and put on a play, then played a couple of themed games. We had a potluck supper and sang “A Mighty Fortress.” A nice outing for the whole family.

Listen

Watch

We recently started watching Our Zoo after discovering it on Kanopy, where we can watch seven movies/shows for free every month through our public library. I can’t wait till the penguins make an appearance!

Meditate

“God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” – Psalm 46:1-3

Do you have any October favourites to share?