Welcome to October! This has always been my favorite month of the year because it seems to signify the real change in season (September still feels like summer to me). I love the change in seasons. Yes, we do have a fall season in Southern California. It’s just a little more subtle than my experience growing up in the Midwest.
Some of the things I love about October:
- Crispy, crunch autumn leaves on the sidewalk.
- Caramel apples.
- Halloween Music (e.g., Thriller, Monster Mash, Psycho Theme Song, I Put a Spell on You, Halloween, The Magic of Halloween).
- Dressing up Finally Five. She has changed her costume no less than 10 times so far. Today she said, “Momma, I’m going to be Dorothy of Oz and Buzz can be Toto. That is my FINAL ANSWER.” Until tomorrow, that is!
- Apple crisp.
- Pumpkin pie. Pumpkin bread. Pumpkin cookies. Pumpkin face mask.
- Cool crisp air.
- The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (definitely a Silver Lining movie to watch with our daughter a/k/a Finally Five!).
- Fashion: Tweed (I am loving my new J.Crew tweed pants!), Corduory, Cashmere.
- College football (I did go to Saint Mary’s College at Notre Dame!)
- Vegetarian chili.
- Candy corn.
- A long run in the autumn sunshine.
- New seasons of Glee, Modern Family and The Good Wife (all of which I watched for hours on end on my couch, bald and drooling).
This October has special significance because on October 15th of last year, I was diagnosed with FBC. It feels like it was yesterday and it feels like it was 100 years ago. What a year in this life it has been, filled with hardship and pain, but also resilience and Silver Linings.
I hope that this is an extraordinary, Silver Lined month for you!
October
Crispy air and azure skies,
High above, a white cloud flies,
Bright as newly fallen snow.
Oh the joy to those who know October!
Colors bright on bush and tree.
Over the weedy swamp, we see
A veil of purple and brown and gold.
Thy beauty words have never told. October!
Scolding sparrows on the lawn,
Rabbits frisking home at dawn,
Pheasants midst the sheaves of grain,
All in harmony acclaim, October!
Brown earth freshly turned by plow,
Apples shine on bended bough,
Bins o’erflowed with oats and wheat,
And satisfaction reigns complete. October!
Radiant joy is everywhere.
Spirits in tune to the spicy air,
Thrill in the glory of each day.
Life’s worth living when we say, October!
– Joseph Pullman Porter
I love October too! And I'm so happy for you to have this October be Bright Beautiful and Healthy. Halloween is the most fun time with kids isn't it?!
Dear Holly, Just a note to say I'm thinking of you at this anniversary date. My sister and I will be coming up with our "anniversaries" now in November. Time is flying by and things continue to look good. Tamoxifen stills giving me that "burning love" feeling but a good chinese fan keeps me cool!! Enjoy the day, for we are the lucky ones! Always, Carolyn A.
Hollye,
I was never much of an Autumn fan…it signified dying as the majority of green things loose their leaves and turn brown in preparation for the whiteness of winter..I was always a summer girl. Felt the most alive in the summer..this year I am truly relishing in this Autumn season! The crisp air and changing colors vibrant with life appear to me as they never have in the past. A truly great and insprational SL.
Hi Hollye!
I am having a fantastic time reading through your blog. I followed a link from the Huffington Post to find you and I'm so glad I did. I read through most of your cancer journey last night and was laughing and crying!
I was diagnosed with stage 2 FBC on October 14th of last year (at age 27)! When I read through your experiences with chemo and surgery, I felt like I was reading my own journal. I too am a very optomistic person and am always looking for the silver lining. Although the last year has been the most difficult of my life, it has given me so much more than it has ever taken. I know you understand 🙂
Thank you for telling your story!
It would help if I could spell optimistic correctly. Awesome.