A Look Back At October

"I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than to be crowded on a velvet cushion." -Thoreau

 I was so busy last month reminiscing about my meanderings in Paris, that I failed to discuss the many things going on in my family during that blissfully beautiful month of October. I will attempt to cover the month in a nutshell, but I fear that my wordiness may win out yet again.

What does October mean at the Watson house? It means a family picnic in the mountains on Conference Sunday to celebrate the changing of the leaves.

It means dusting off my meager photography skills and doing photo shoots of my favorite nieces and nephews.

It means that Sabrina gets to show off the culinary skills she is learning in her foods class by making homemade macaroni and cheese for dinner, leaving her mother thrilled that she didn't have to cook, and licking her plate after partaking of such cheesy goodness.

It means the anticipated appearance of the arctic snow hat. If it's the least bit nippy, Dad doesn't mess around.

It means saying good-bye to the fall soccer season, much to Jonah's disappointment. Of the many things Jonah complains about ruining his life, soccer is not one of them. We look forward to watching our star defender next spring.

The one consoling detail about the last game of the season is a warm cup of hot chocolate and a donut for a season well played.

October means piano lessons each week, much to Jonah's chagrin. This is one of those things that he reminds me every week is ruining his life. I keep going back and forth about whether it's time to cut our losses on this one, but MUSIC IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL THING! I'm not ready to give up on this kid yet, but talk to me after Jonah's practice session this evening.

It means that finally, after what seemed like forever, we have a hole in the ground with our name on it. I'm so aching for my own space, that I've been tempted just to put a tent up right there in the middle of our footprint. 

It means a trip to Temple Square for the best turkey sandwiches in the state at Nauvoo Cafe.

Coupled with a lovely and free concert given by the Orchestra at Temple Square. 

The guest cellist just happened to be playing the Haydn Concerto, which is the very piece Jessica is trying to perfect for the many upcoming auditions she is facing in the not-so-distant future. We perched ourselves on the very front row of the balcony just above Mr. Graisford, so that Jess could watch his every shift and impressive vibrato in thumb position while she followed along in her own music.

President Uchtdorf is quite cultured, and we usually see him at these events. Jessica noted that he was one of the few people not applauding between movements. Now there's a man who knows classical music. We got to watch as the cellist introduced his young son to Pres. Uchtdorf. 

October means Suzuki rehearsals.

And Utah Youth parent meetings at the university.

And it means school Halloween dances, with teens all dressed up as their favorite famous couples.

It means ward parties at the local farm, one of the perks to having farmers in your ward.

It means crockpots full of hot soup and hay rides out to the pumpkin patch and generous farmers making sure everyone leaves with a pumpkin in hand.

And face painting, and hot chocolate, and donuts.

It means fall storms that blow the yellow leaves off the trees and leave dustings of snow on the tops of the mountains.

It means primary programs that leave the whole room wiping their eyes after hearing angels sing and bear testimony.

It means fall school orchestra concerts, where we get to hear eerie pieces like the Haunted Carousel and the theme from Psycho.

It is so fun to have Spencer and Sabrina playing in the same orchestra now!

It is also fun when the high school band and orchestra play in a combined concert where we get to watch our cousin jam out on the sax.

As well as our daughter dazzle us with the cello.

It means a Halloween miracle when they pour the footings for our house!

It means Halloween costumes. A ring-wraith. Thank heavens for Amazon and its selection of costumes from movies ten years old.

A Newsie. Being the Halloween-Grinch that I am, the kids are on their own for costumes after 6th grade. Not bad Spence, for a costume thrown together last minute. He also snuck in one more year of trick-or-treating. I generally cut the kids off in junior high. There is something offensive to me about a deep-voiced teenager in a wig standing on my porch begging for candy.

Sabrina sporting her most recent addition to her ever expanding masquerade mask collection.

And what does the fox say? This girl will tell you, and with enthusiasm.

It means cat-sitting while Angie is off traveling the world again.

Mr. Walter White is just about as cute as you get with those little white paws and long whiskers. He's feisty and fun!

It means the Suzuki Grand Concert. An event Sabrina never forgets to inform me that she loathes.

But she just has to suffer through it, because I love it. I love how they start with the most difficult pieces then work their way down through the Suzuki repertoire. I love how it starts with maybe six kids playing a complex piece, and slowly they are joined by more and more violinists, until the whole stage is packed with string players participating in the grand finale..the twinkle variations. Everyone starts with the twinkles. It always goes back to the twinkles.

October means that honors book reports are due. Great Expectations for Sabrina, Picture of Dorian Gray for Jessica, both deliciously wicked novels, perfect for this time of year. Out of the Silent Planet for Spence as well as a biography of J.R.R. Tolkien. Apparently the children have lost all but their procrastinator pants this school year because they each had about eleventy hundred pages to read in about ten days time. So I would send them to their bedrooms to read like maniacs. And how does a maniac read, you ask? Well, if you had been here you might have seen as I demonstrated to my children what reading like a maniac looks like. Just picture me holding a book open and my eyes and head flitting about all frenzied-like as I frantically turn pages. That is maniacal reading, and it's what my children were condemned to for about ten days straight. 

By some miracle, all the books got read, and reports turned in and aced, also by some miracle. The mother of these dear children now pleads with them, 

"For the love of all that is good and holy, will you please just open up next term's read right now and could you please, I beg you, all of you, just read one chapter a night?! Please!!! For the sake of your mother's poor nerves PACE yourself this term!"

 I'm sure my pleadings fell on deaf ears, as they usually do. But how else does one maintain one's humility except by consistently being ignored?

Well, I got my reads in this month. Since I seem to be obsessed with all things French these days, my reading only reflects my fixation. The Greater Journey by David McCullough was a delight. It is all about the Americans that moved to Paris to study in the  1800's. I started the book on my ten hour flight back from Paris. And I read it maniacally I must say. I couldn't help but devour each page as it discussed the places I had just seen. David McCullough is already one of my favorite authors, so I knew I would enjoy the writing, but the content was fascinating. I don't think we realize just how many of the American greats of the 19th century received their inspiration in Paris. I'm even talking as close to home as those who painted the murals inside the Salt Lake Temple. Those artists studied in Paris before beginning work on the temple. I also didn't realize how little I knew about French history past the Reign of Terror and Bonaparte. Great Read!

Once I had finished The Greater Journey, I had a hankering for some more French history, particularly that of Marie Antoinette, after visiting the Conciergerie and Versailles. Man I'm glad I set this book aside when I was packing up my bookshelves! Antonia Frasier is my other favorite historical author, so I'm already enjoying this read. 

Well, there you have it. October in a nutshell. I have one thing to say on this the 5th of November...BRING ON THE HOLIDAYS!