small-town pace

Just when Fall erupted like a bang and we were flung in far too many directions, we skittered away to one of our favorite places to enjoy one last taste of carefree days.  This time it was just my middle, my mother and I.  We visited beloved family, drank up the cooler weather of autumn, picked lots of apples and vegetables from my aunt's garden, visited lots of outdoor markets, hiked in the woods in search of woodsy treasures, spent long mornings at the local coffee shop, played cards and just enjoyed the slow, small-town pace along the North Shore.

Each time we go, I hope for this different, slower pace to rub off on my children.  I want them to remember the delights nature offers, the joyous feeling of picking something out of the garden to fill our dinner plates, the pleasures of simple card games played at the long salvaged wood table at the coffee shop with family, the coziness of an imperfect little cabin on the lake and taking time to breathe the fresh air of autumn.

woodsy treasures, a crown of ferns, pink dahlias at the market, hot cocoa mornings

time for knitting, picking up lots of beach glass, throwing the stick for the dog, pine cones and birch bark to make a fairy house

apple picking, apples fill her shirt, donning a new hat for cooler weather

"This is my favorite spot in the world, Momma."  "Do you want to know why?...because I can see all the way right and all the way left."