The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let the dead things go. -Unknown
As I've talked about in the past, autumn is the perfect time for quiet solitude and reflection. When everything surrounding you is either dead or dying, you can't help but look inward and think about your own mortality. How can I make the most of the time I have left? How can I suck the marrow out of life? If I'm lucky, I might stumble around this earth for another fifty or sixty years. But I might just have months, or days, or minutes. Either way, I feel happy to have existed in a world where people pick pumpkins for pleasure, where leaves give one last brilliant 'Hoorah!" before swirling into a quiet death. And even if only for a short while, I feel happy to exist in a world where there is an autumn.
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ 🍂 ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙
Welcome back to the Grimoire, my dear fall friends. As the temperatures begin to drop, I trust you've all been bundling up beneath blankets and cooking up cozy concoctions. As I mentioned last week, I took a roadtrip with some friends this past weekend, where we camped at Kyle's Landing on the Buffalo. There, we roasted hot dogs over the bonfire, told ghost stories in our tents, swayed in hammocks, and basked in the brisk autumn sun. We witnessed some of the first signs of colder weather on the horizon, leaves surrounding us at every turn in their just-changed shades of oranges and browns. And even though rain seeped into my tent Saturday night, periodically wetting my eyelids with cool droplets, I couldn't have asked for a better way to say goodbye to warm weather.
Because I was in charge of bringing some of the snacks for the trip, when we got back home I had a plethora of uneaten apples at my disposal. And what do you do when you have an excess of pithy gala apples? Why, you bake apple cobbler, of course. It was my first time making a cobbler, and I was very pleasantly surprised with the results. I served it fresh out of the oven with vanilla ice cream, and it was the perfect bedtime treat. Matthew and I enjoyed our desserts all cozied up underneath the electric blanket, while watching Red Riding Hood (with Amanda Seyfried). I remember watching the movie as a kid in theaters and being awed by its unconventional and twisted spin on the childhood fairytale. It was just as spooky and spectacular as I remember, and perfect for an autumn night spent indoors.
I also just recently finished The Midnight Club on Netflix, which I'm sure you've heard of or seen for yourself; if you haven't, however, I can't recommend it enough. Though the series certainly has supernatural elements woven throughout its episodes, I would argue that The Midnight Club focuses more on what it means to be human, how hard it can be to let go even though letting go is sometimes the only option. In the last episode (no spoilers, I promise), Ilonka reads a beautiful poem that left me in absolute shambles. I thought I'd share below, just in case you've never read it.
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ 🍂 ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙
With Halloween quickly creeping closer and closer, it's time to start putting final touches on your costumes. If you haven't yet decided who or what you want to dress up as this year, I recommend looking to thrift stores for inspiration. Oftentimes, they have costumes in perfect condition, and they also have cheap clothes and accessories that can easily be turned into costumes with just a little innovation. Bonus: your costume will be one-of-a-kind.
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ 🍂 ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙
This week, I have for you a new collection of songs, a little indie playlist titled "Maple Mornings." It's a fitting name, because much like an autumn morning, it's somber and soothing, and listening to it has helped me ease gently into each new fall day.
Finally, I'd like to give a shoutout to my dear sister, Elizabeth, for uploading her first contribution to Covenstead yesterday (not counting the inappropriate photo I had to delete weeks ago). She titled her photo, "put my bones on the wrong feet today." To see what she's referring to, enter Covenstead . . .
Until next week, stay cozy.
With warmth and whimsy,
Cat
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