It’s Fall Y’all

The fall season is here! Well it’s almost fall. The early start to school in the south makes it feel like fall, but the 90-degree weather not so much. Growing up in Michigan Labor Day always signaled the end of summer and start of school. It’s hard to get used to the August start of school in South Carolina, even though we have been participating in that schedule for years. It’s also hard to get used to the timing of honey crisp apple picking in the south being in such warm weather. Sweating and apple picking don’t go hand in hand in my book.

This fall we decided to go ahead and plant a fall garden. The contestants for this season’s garden are: cabbage, swiss chard, collards, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, lettuce, onions, beets, rutabagas and green beans. I was going to keep it small knowing that we have school to contend with and the mom taxi will be starting up soon, but I stuck to the Barton motto of more is better.

The only thing I will be sad if it doesn’t grow is the lettuce, as during planting I stepped in a newly rototilled ant pile during their rebuilding phase. I have many itchy irritated bites to prove that I was invading their garden, contrary to my belief that they are the intruders.

Planting the rutabagas was a total whim. I saw them listed as a root vegetable that would grow in this area at this time and decided to try something new. Also if successful I will try my hand at making pasties! I was very disappointed when I went to the seed store and found that rutabagas were a type of turnip, because I know that I most detest turnips! We had a neighbor once talk about how lovely turnips were, but there is no love shared in this house for turnips. We grew them one year and it was probably the most disappointing crop we’ve ever grown. I desperately tried to prepare them so that we would enjoy the taste, but a recipe that we loved was never found. Who knows, I may have a rutabaga stand on the corner this fall. Either that or sell pasties! I would definitely need to be clear in my advertising though to not get the wrong type of customers, this is not upper Michigan!

I am so excited that fall is nearly here. It’s one of my favorite seasons. Especially the fall season in the south, it seems to last forever! I enjoy the camping and bonfire weather, flannel shirts, and fall décor is the best. Even just driving down my country road in the fall with all the spectacular colors lifts my day. What’s your favorite thing about fall?

Speaking of seasons, what a different season of life I am in than many friends my age. With having both high schoolers, middle schoolers and a preschoolers I am often pulled in different directions. This life is an adventure. During the day I tail a new “big girl bicycle” rider reminding her to look where she is going and stay to the right of the path we are riding on. After school hours I am the passenger for a newly permitted driver reminding her to drive the speed limit, stay in her lane, and not to ride the side of the road. Eleven years ago I would have never guessed this is what my day would be composed of; I was sure that we were content and done having children after the birth of our fourth and “final” child. I even included the doneness of our family on the back of what I thought was our last child’s birth announcement. Here it is below:

God has a sense of humor and had other plans for our family, and I’m so glad he did. Often times through this quarantine we have noted how boring life would be without our little one. It’s definitely challenging at times, but we are thankful for God’s gift of 17 years of marriage this month and the children He has entrusted to us.

It’s funny how people that are past the little kid season sometimes forget what it’s like to raise small ones. Our church has started back meeting outside in the parking for Sunday service. Many friends have wondered why we haven’t returned to attending in person. Well let me see, having an easily distractible high energy 4 year old sit still and be quiet during an hour service while she has the playground in sight and an audience that is surely there for her to entertain; what could go wrong? Not only would we totally miss the message and reason for church attendance, we would inadvertently capture the attention of all attendees within eyesight. No thanks. I think we will wait for kid’s church to reconvene. Thankfully that day will, Lord willing, be next week! We look forward to the reunion.

So what do you look forward to this week? I am hoping my seeds will show evidence of life this week. I hope the schools will stay COVID free so we can freely attend soon. I hope I can manage even just one day of leftovers so I can take a night off from cooking dinner! Whatever you are looking forward to I hope you all have a great week!