“September came in with golden days and silver nights.”
~ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
The good in September:
A big, white morning moon
Birds crossing the sky on my walk over to Teresa’s
Opening her front door to see the ladies from church on the porch; sharing coffee, breakfast, and conversations together around the table
Nancy fixing her hair like Helen from All Creatures Great and Small
A tour of Rodney’s greenhouse and gardens, his chickens and rabbit tractors
Jared digging around in the attic on a Sunday morning and finding crutches so I could go to church on a sprained ankle
Ben and Abigail sitting on the floor during music practice, keeping me company
Whole wheat pizza dough: easy to make, easy to freeze
Quiet Sunday afternoon to finish a book
Pretty September morning on the porch
Jury orientation at the old courthouse downtown that has local historical artifacts & U.S. paintings in the hallways; the lady who asked if she could crochet while serving on jury
Visiting MeMe and hearing an “I love you” back
Folding the laundry in the evening while listening to a podcast together
Tearing up the zinnia bed and collecting the dried heads for seeds
Planning a baby shower for Faith
A competent & compassionate hospice nurse for Jared’s grandma
Setting out food alongside Vivian in the church kitchen
Emailing with Papa Larry about our shared love of Wendell Berry who passed away
A doe and her two fawns out the back door
Family birthday lunch for Jared’s grandpa
Taking the scenic roads around Fort Smith with Jared’s parents
Cold brew with goat’s milk from a local farm
Walking to the stadium for Van Buren’s home opener; high school football in the South; eating a hot dog and a whole pickle in the stands
Joel & Natalie’s happy news that a baby is on the way!
New episode of the Home Fires podcast
How funny the hens look when they’re molting
Downtown Alma, the quaint railroad town with the pretty white church & coffee house inside the old depot
Lots of pictures from Drew & Leanna’s family trip to Utah
Cooking day: meatballs, a whole chicken, and homemade refried beans
Practicing piano in the front room, where the evening light comes in
Looking through old pictures with Harold and Teresa at the table after dark, so many family stories
Long afternoon visits at MeMe’s bedside the week before she passed; the grandma-granddaughter nurse duo who took such care of her; the coffee & tea cart they brought us; slanting the blinds above her bed to let in some sunshine; humming hymns and praying together over her
A thousand ages in Thy sight are like an evening gone; short as the watch that ends the night before the rising sun from ‘O God Our Help in Ages Past’
Jared preaching the funeral sermon, my parents driving in for the service, and a family lunch all together
Helping Harold get the flooring ready for their new woodstove
Friday afternoon shopping trip to pick out snacks & crafts for the kiddos coming in town
Jared listening to the football game while he grilled on the back porch
Johnny & Linda coming to dinner
Brian’s family rolling into town for a week with us
Driveway chalk, roller blades, pickleball, & barefoot four square
Cramming onto the couch with the kids to watch the Chiefs play the Colts
The aquarium at Bass Pro, and the kiddos clambering over all the display boats like we used to when Papa and Mema took us there as kids
Lunch at the park & the book shop downtown
Elsie’s new blue dress
Mornings on the back porch with coffee, visiting while the kids ran out in their jammies to chase the chickens; Elanor holding on tight to Hazel the hen
Cooking, packing, and visiting with Taylor while the guys fixed our flat tire in the garage
Ringing the rooster bell for the kids to come in for dinner
Beautiful, soft sunsets
Taking off to Petit Jean Mountain with the older two in the backseat and the van following; sing-alongs & Hudson’s fluent pig-Latin
Hiking Bear Cave Loop, the boys scrambling all over the high rocks
Hudson sitting cross-legged at the overlook, sketching the view
Adalai’s bucket hat & walking stick
Arriving at our little lake house with the Cape Cod dishes in the kitchen, a long bay window seat, a zipline out back from tree to tree, and a view of Petit Jean Mountain
Cup of coffee & Psalm 84 at sunrise
Fishing with Jared
Meeting a new family who joined us for a day on the lake; kids in kayaks & lifejackets, playing sharks & minnows, and drying off for burgers off the grill at dusk; sharing stories with fellow saints in Christ and hearing of the work He has done
Little silhouette of a lone Bennett fishing at twilight, determined to catch something before dark
Watching the baby monitor & reading on a quiet afternoon in the lake house
Holding a sleepy Adalai up against me
Elanor falling asleep on the swing
Jared teaching Hudson how to play ping-pong
Brian taking the boys out in a red canoe for morning fishing
Driving up and down Mount Magazine on our way home, through a string of quiet, rural towns
The first cool morning at home, rain tapping down on the leaves, a breeze at the window
