...A time of hot chocolatey mornings, and toasty marshmallow evenings, and, best of all, leaping into leaves!"
A quote found in Winnie the Pooh from his Grand Adventure, and one which I’m sure we can all sympathise with, as the colder weather sits in for October and beyond.
Happy Autumn everyone!
Or Fall…as our American colleagues across the water call it. And this is going to be the theme of this month’s blog. Autumn, Fall and the origins in name, with some exciting other updates along the way…
An author unknown once said:
“Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go”
This seems to me to be a great reflection of how the season of autumn should be treated. Trees change colour, misty mornings arise, and Nature slowly creeps into hibernation…and the weather performs in all sorts of ways, just as the photograph above demonstrates...this was taken on a walk during which every type of weather was experienced, including: rain, sunshine, hail and clouds...
Author Stanley Horowitz said: “Winter is an etching, spring a watercolour, summer an oil painting, and autumn a mosaic of them all.”
This is a beautiful representation of how the seasons are cyclical every year, and a lovely depiction which demonstrates the importance of Autumn / Fall.
The older of these two words is Autumn, which is believed to have entered into the English language in the 1300s from the Latin word autumnus which still seems to have unclear origins. Notably, both Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare used the word in their works.
Names for this time of year didn’t end with the word Autumn, and poets clearly were continued to be inspired by the visual changes in Nature. In time, the phrase ‘the fall of the leaves’ came to be associated with the season. Recorded use of the word 'fall' as the third season of the year appears as early as the 1500s. It is thought that the word 'fall' is connected with the fall of the leaves, in reference to the time of year when trees which are not evergreen shed their leaves.
The concept of this season in many European languages is connected with the harvesting of crops. A common name for the intermediary season in the year was 'harvest', given that farmers would gather and prepare their crops for winter storage during this time. Just like Harvest Festival can be celebrated as a way of giving thanks for a successful crop yield over the year, the animal kingdom prepares ahead of Winter. Animals gather extra food, grow thicker coats of fur and even migrate to escape the falling temperatures.
Another unknown author once said: “Autumn is the season to find contentment at home by paying attention to what we already have.”
This reflects the importance of this season of being present and appreciating the visible changes taking place around us.
Take a moment to stop and admire the leaves.
Enjoy the rain.
Breathe in the crisp, fresh air.
I have been taking opportunity of the lovely temperatures by enjoying regular wakeboarding and outdoor adventures, especially as this has been a great way to escape the screen...and I hope you can find the time to do the same also!
Poet and journalist William Cullent Bryant summarised the season by saying: “Autumn...the year's last, loveliest smile.”
An appealing description of this season and one which is depicted very well in the photograph below; sometimes you have to travel through the rain to find that sunshine and smile...
A lovely poem by Robert Louis Stevenson summarises this time of year:
In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!
Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
The grey smoke towers.
Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
Fires in the fall!
Ahead of Winter, I thought this was a particularly poignant narration for Autumn, as bonfires beckon to us...once again, this reiterates the positivity associated with this season and reassures us that the fire will keep us warm and comforted. I have found that watching candles and their flames is a great way to keep calm and steady.
Jim Bishop said: “Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.”
One of my favourite parts of researching and writing up this blog was the proliferation of captivating and detailed quotes which all portray the significance of the season, and why we should embrace it when it comes…perhaps with an extra layer or two…and some gloves…and maybe even a woolly hat!
And some thick neoprene layers for wakeboarding in the cooler waters over the past few months :)
As you can see from the smile on my face, it has been fantastic to work with Rooster this year as a brand ambassador and I look forward to seeing what will come next in 2023 and beyond…
Victoria Erickson: “If a year was tucked inside of a clock, then autumn would be the magic hour.”
A rather magical update for me has presented itself in the form of another of my wakeboarding blogs being featured on the Rooster website: please click on the link to view it here.
Thank you for all your continued support for the brand instagram account, and I hope you are taking advantage of the colder weather to enjoy creating new culinary creations in the kitchen, and food outdoors just as I have done as above, and especially after time spent in Nature. With Halloween taking place tomorrow, there is the opportunity for you to make some fabulously ghoulish creations. I am also absolutely delighted that one of my recent posts has been shared on the official M&S Instagram page, which you can view by clicking here.
To conclude, I finish with a quote by Novelist Wallace Stegner who once said:
“Another fall, another turned page…”
Wishing you a peaceful remainder of October, and enjoy Halloween when it comes!
Love,
Sitara xxx
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