“Farewell”. “So long”. “Goodbye”. The French say “bid adieu”. In so many words to say, “the hummingbirds went south”. I miss them being just outside my atelier window while I write. They have been gone for a few days. No chance of the hummingbird’s survival here in the winter as every year. Especially this upcoming winter as I hear we are getting incredible amounts of snow in the Midwest. The persimmons and willy worms tell us the same. I hope the hummingbirds survive the current and future tropical storms with their return to Missouri in April or May of next year. Our ferns, lantana, arrowhead plant, and herbs have done well this long summer. This weekend our perennials are back in the basement as some 30’s temperatures were forecasted the northern outskirts of the metro St. Louis region having frost. It is the first time I heard the “F” word being used by the meteorologists this season. A farewell to fair weather.

There are other “goodbyes” taking place these days. The amount of items Dean and I have collected over the years! Since mid-summer we have been giving away and purging for many weekends and hope to finalize before hard winter sets in. I know of two silent auction events this autumn to contribute to. We think vintage stuff is cool. And if we keep some of our stuff much longer, they will be vintage! Books, home decor, old picture frames, hardware, old paperwork. If not giving away to family, friends, or charity, then to the trash or burn pile will these items go. “Sai la vie” is the other French term. “Oh, well!” There is no sense in keeping everything. My hopes are our kids will appreciate these efforts later when Dean and I are gone.

“All goes back to the earth and so I do not desire pride of excess or power, but the contentment made by men who have had little: the fisherman’s silence receiving the river’s grace, the gardener’s musing on rows.” ~ Wendell Berry

I am moving onto a new job in these next few days. I will finish the month with my culinary work at the senior agency I have been with for 3-1/2 years. I started training with another food service company that assists the parochial school at our church parish. Our church is 3 blocks away from our St. Charles home. This is an answer to prayer regarding the wintertime commute dilemma for me with my medical conditions of rheumatoid arthritis and a severe allergy to the cold. I will work about the same number of hours and pay rate but with less food volume and younger clients. Change is good and I embrace this new opportunity with enthusiasm. I will miss some co-workers but have afternoons off to visit the St. Charles and St. Peters Senior Centers from time to time.

Farewell to iced tea and flip-flops for a few months. My herbs came indoors this week. I used the Genovese basil in caprese pasta again and have more to use up this week. Autumn goodies like hot tea, pie, kuchen, soups, and apples being used in various recipes are a part of the menu changes these days. I want to try making this apple butter recipe I found online. Festive weekend outings like a Poe play, the church picnic, and an overnight at a unique boutique hotel in a small Missouri town have given us relaxing fun between chores and jobs. Writing continues to keep me occupied while inside. Year-round, almost daily words invade my brain that necessitate me to write. More recipes, stories, and poems develop for my next book. “Bid adieu” to silence.

“Tell your story.

Shout it. Write it.

Whisper it if you have to. 

But tell it.

Some won’t understand it.

Some will outright reject it.

But many will

thank you for it.

And then the most

magical thing will happen.

One by one, voices will start

whispering, ‘Me, too.’

And your tribe will gather.

And you will never

feel alone again.” ~ L.R. Knost