Carnival Blog: Autumn

my son Keith, looking for the "Great Pumpkin"








I am very fortunate to live in New York where we can truly enjoy the visions of Fall upon us. As you look up, the vibrant colors of Autumn; reds, oranges, yellows, seem to create a Harvest Festival of their own. As you look down, those leaves that have already fallen upon the warmth of the summer's ground, create a bountiful of memories as I walk through them. I guess it is the child in me, but I still cannot walk through the leaves of Autumn without kicking through the leaves as I stroll along. Every season does bring its' own memories, but there is something about the crispness in the air during the Fall that all the beautiful colors fade to memories shaded in black and white as the pictures when I was small.
One of my favorite, and the first picture that enters into my thoughts is gathering the leaves, using a rake of which I am perhaps only half it's size; and we would rake everything together into a big pile. Don't think that pile of leaves were just to clean the lawn, we (my sister, and friends) would climb up onto the rocks and jump into that pile, something we could do for hours. Unfortunately, with all those noisy leave blowers of today; children cannot experience the joy of being buried under a pile of leaves, hoping not to be the next to be jumped upon.
Another thought that comes to mind is my sister and I would get into my Grandfather's '56 Chevy, and off we would go on another one of his adventures. This is something we would do almost every weekend; but in the Fall we knew what laid ahead. A trip upstate to one of the many apple orchards, where we would buy bushels of freshly picked NY State apples (the best!); then we would sit with our hot apple cider, eating the fresh apple donuts, which were dipped in cinnamon, while fighting off the bees who wished to join us. I cannot think of Fall without even imaging the smells surrounding us as we would gather up our apples and head back home, and await for the aroma of the fresh baked apple pies my Grandmother would bake.
Fortunately for my children, I passed these beautiful memory's onto them. Of course, instead of the 56' Chevy, we would pile into the station wagon, along with their friends, and head off on one of my "Grandfather's Excursions". We would go to the same apple orchard, pick bags of apples, then sit and enjoy the hot cider, and warm donuts, and I swear those same bee's were still there waiting for me to return with my children!
And then what would be Fall without the well awaited trip to the Pumpkin Patch. Of course, my sister and I would always have to find the largest pumpkin in the bunch, and my kids were no different when it was my turn to take them. Thanks for helping to relive these childhood memories of the Falling Leaves, which I in turn have created memories for my own children to be able to share someday with theirs.

A Keeper's Jackpot said...
I'm going apple picking Saturday!

September 23, 2008 3:57 PM


agoodwitchtoo said...
An absolutely beautiful post! I can hear the bees and taste the doughnuts now...

September 23, 2008 7:29 PM


BeadedTail said...
What a wonderful post! Thanks for sharing your memories of fall and it's great that the traditions continue with your kids!

September 26, 2008 11:36 AM

Monday's Memories

Monday Monday, so good to me,

Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be

Oh Monday morning, Monday morning couldn't guarantee

That Monday evening you would still be here with me.

How could I even think to start any sort of this week's, "Monday's Blog" of reflections, without that song chiming through my head. A time when life seemed so simple, the 60's. Life was changing all around us, but we still hadn't lost that innocence of imagination and where life would take us. Music was and has alway been an important part of my life; I was probably only about 8 years old when I received my first transistor radio, which had maybe 3 stations in the NY area (WNBC, WCBS, the oldies on 101.1). Once I turned on that radio, I was hooked.

In 1963, when Beatlemania was taking over the world, my best friend and I had to be the first ones to buy their just released 45. In 1965, like I said, our imaginations were what sustained us. The Dave Clark Five were appearing at a theater near here. So by going to our local newspaper as "reporter's" with our cousin Francie from California, (yes, she was from California) but by no means reporters. We next found ourselves being escorted along with the reporter from our newspaper who was covering the story, back stage at the RKO theater to interview the Dave Clark Five. Truthfully, when it was our time to interview them, we stood there totally dumbfounded! By 1967, as everyone was leaving for San Francisco "wearing flowers in the their hair", I saw my whole life changing. The sounds of San Francisco were filling our heads with fantasy's unimaginable. My life was filled with dreams of a new generation whose only goal was to bring peace during a time of war. I frequently hung out in the Westside of Greenwich Village, sitting many afternoon's in the tiny cafe's, where Dylan, Joan Baez, and John Sebastian played, and were fast being the spokesmen for so many of us. Yes, I was at the famous 1967 "Be-In" in Central Park, which originally was called Sheep's Meadow, is now known as "Strawberry Fields" in memory of John Lennon.

I would be remiss, and my children so disappointed, if I did not mention that while frequenting the Electric Circus in the East Village, I became friends with the Chamber's Brother's, whose song "Time" was just coming into being. We were immersed into a time of Peppermint Incense, flowers painted on our faces, bell-bottoms (and of course, no shoes) with slogans of Peace, Love and Happiness buried deep within us. I had a friend named Sunshine, who sang with "David Peele and the Lower East Side" one of whom I was going out with at the time. You had to be a true Village fan to know these musicians who sang in the Park. It wasn't long before all the Sunshine, Flowers', and Peace began to turn towards darkness. The war was escalating; songs were of protests; people becoming angry; Columbia Univeristy riots; bombings; SDS; and drugs; were becoming the norm in the Village. Love turned to hatred. Peace became violence. It changed the face of a lot of disillusioned teens like myself. My visits to the visits to Village were becoming less frequent, and the flower's began to wilt. So ends the memories, which still brings smile when I think back on those days when Peace and Love were a part of our generation.

6 Comments - Show Original Post
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roseworksjewelry said...
What an exciting time to have lived in! Thanks for sharing your story :)

September 22, 2008 11:50 AM


Dayna said...
Thanks for sharing those memories.

September 22, 2008 12:08 PM


maryeb said...
Great post!
And thanks for reminding me of that song. I loved the lyrics, still do.

September 22, 2008 12:50 PM


Lily - Tulip's Talking from the said...
So nice to be reminded of that era. I think many of us are trying to get back to the peace and love, of the old days...

Funny that you would remember that particular song today. I too used a line from the song in a blog I did earlier!

Peace,

~Lily....LOL...Peace Lily....Flower Power!!!

September 22, 2008 2:16 PM


agoodwitchtoo said...
What wonderful memories! I wish the Peace and Love movement would move in to stay... this time for good.

Thanks for sharing!

September 22, 2008 2:55 PM


BeadedTail said...
Thanks for sharing your wonderful memories!

September 22, 2008 7:11 PM

September Monthly Blog:JoeyandAleethea

As a new member of the ‘Etsy Blogger’s Street Team”, I can’t think of any better way to start my first of the monthly blogs doing a feature on the leader’s of this amazing group, Joey and Aleetha. Having been on Etsy for just one year, you start to recognize items from shops from the Promo Forums, etc. . . . One item that always stuck in my mind was seeing the “little monster” peering from the clothes of baby’s and small children. Who could not love that little monster, when we have all experienced those days of terrible two’s, or babies who decide they are going to stay up and watch “SpongeBob” at 3am!
Before I begin, I must start with congratulation’s on their new arrival; a little baby girl, Lily, who joins her 2 year old brother. I must admit today is the first day that I looked through their shop. My only words for each item was “how adorable!” Each little monster piece of clothing is cuter than the next. Unfortunately, my baby’s are now, 28, 24, and 23; just a wee bit too big to fit into any of these onsies, or jeans or t-shirts. Although, I know my 23 yr old would love a binky blanket!
My family and friends are at the beginning stages of producing the next generation. Our first is my nephew (and godson’s) little boy, Strummer, 20 mos; and one of my closest friends just became a grandmother last week. So you can bet I will be spending a lot of time at Joey and Aleetha’s shop here on Etsy. One of my favorites is “Make love not War!”

LazyTcrochet said...
Love their Monsterlicious designs!

September 10, 2008 9:28 AM


roseworksjewelry said...
Great write up!

September 10, 2008 9:36 AM