This is my mother’s month. She was born in September and fall was her favorite season. She loved us, but looked forward to the start of school, which in CA was usually September. She had a little more time to read and write, in addition to her usual job as “chief cook and bottle washer”, a tag my father often used. She also loved fall colors, cooler temperatures, and sweaters. I never turn the calendar page at the end of summer without smiling.
It’s amazing to realize how similar I am to my mother in preferences and actions, beliefs and values. I spent so many years trying to prove I was different. She and I “clashed” over some petty things that are truly laughable in retrospect. Yes, I have some traits from my father, and I’ve had some experiences that have caused me to question some of my earliest teachings. In their defense, I must say they changed some of their opinions and values as well. So, I find myself the product of nature, nurture, experience, success, and failure, going forward by the grace of God and seeking his guidance. I think Mom would approve.
I laughed when Gary and I went to the store last week! Time for the “pumpkin spice plague” as I refer to it. The rise in popularity of this flavor is phenomenal. You can now buy PS Cheerios, Spam, Twinkies, peanut butter, etc., etc., ad nauseum. Unfortunately, my mother would probably enjoy some of the products. One of her September rituals was making the first batch of pumpkin bread, a fall and winter favorite in our house. However, I know she would NOT try PS Dog Shampoo, even for old old Sam.
Mom loved flowers, but seldom “gardened”, perhaps because we spent so much time working in the fields. She was usually content with a small flowerbed or a few pots, just something to brighten up our surroundings. She loved roses, but we seldom lived anywhere long enough to enjoy them. In later years she collected more houseplants and Dad created a large flower garden for her. She loved the colors of fall chrysanthemums.
My mother usually preferred to wear a jacket, sweater, or sweatshirt rather than anything sleeveless. I really have to search through photos of her to even find her wearing a short-sleeved shirt. I never questioned her about whether she didn’t like the “look” or she was cold, but it was a preference that developed as she got older. She also preferred shirts or tops with a collar of some sort. Anyway, fall meant she could once again begin to wear long sleeves. She also loved corduroy, a fabric that was quite popular in the sixties and seventies. Mom found one pattern that became her favorite and she made several corduroy suits from it. Yes, she made her own clothes, and ours.
September…fond memories, new foods, great colors, cooler weather…what’s not to love?