November, almost. It is October 28th as I’m writing this and we have yet to have our first frost. Many of the trees are still green. It is a year for lingering I suppose. I have been trying to fully understand in my head and my heart that it is indeed autumn in order to enjoy all the fruits of the short season. I was wondering to myself recently why autumn always feels so short. Living by a Great Lake, we are kept warmer longer into the year. The cold doesn’t come until late October. (And thanks to the lake again, it lasts well through April). It takes until then to “feel” like fall. And while autumn technically does last until December 21st, it doesn’t really in my mind. Ever since I was young it has been clear to me: Thanksgiving day is the last day of autumn. The Friday after Thanksgiving is Christmas-decorating-day, thus commencing the holiday season and magic of winter. All the trees are bare by then and we begin to get snow at that time too. And so alas, autumn feels short because it is. And maybe that is why each one continues to be utterly enchanting despite experiencing 24 of them already. Each year I get better at noticing, and enjoying.

With our first frost eluding us, we have continued to bring in tomatoes and zinnias from the garden. But I am ready for the cold to put the garden to rest for the year. There is much to tend to inside now. I am like a little autumn mouse, making cozy every corner in the house!

Dusting, fluffing, decluttering, and taking note of what needs to be purchased for the winter. I have ordered a few winter clothing items for myself and am now focusing on the final touches of our winter pantry. Even though harvest season is mostly through, there’s still some things that need done. I want to make a batch of fermented carrots because we have some late-season dill still in the garden. We also recently got a 50lb bag of organic storage potatoes (for $15!) from a local farm that we need to sort through and pick the ones that need used first vs which ones will store well. We also need to place a few bulk orders from local farms and Azure.

We received an email from our meat farmers about their inevitable price increases due to inflation, supply chain shortages and the like. However, they’re having a price freeze for 30 days and encouraging their customers to stock up before it comes. How wonderful is that?! That is the blessing of knowing your farmers personally. You won’t get this kind of courtesy from the grocery stores. Localized eating is the only way out of the very near food crisis. Small farmers are going to prioritize their already established customers when the grocery store shelves are empty and people are looking for new sources. You can’t wait around for a more “convenient” time to shop local…invest in those connections now my friends!

I also want to go through our larders and freezers and take inventory of everything we preserved this year so I can have a record and compare it to previous and future years. Would you like to see a post about our pantry and preserving efforts this year? I think it would be fun to share…

I have been thinking about simplification a lot lately. It’s been something I’ve struggled with for the past 2 years. Oftentimes we think of simplifying as easy work. When something makes us frustrated or overwhelmed, it’s easy to get rid of it (I’m not talking about everyday responsibilities here). That sweater you keep in your closet but puts you in a bad mood every time you wear it, the unorganized overflowing tupperware cupboard…easy to get rid of. But what about the things we…like? And enjoy? Sometimes we have to get rid of things we like, to make room for things we like more. I hate the “hot mess” culture that’s trendy right now. Being a mess and having an unorganized life is glamorized and I refuse to be apart of that.

“Let all things be done decently and in order.”

— 1 corinthians 14:40

There’s a lot of areas in my life that are not in order lately, and my overwhelm regarding them is not pleasing to the Lord. He is a God of order, not of chaos. If simple everyday tasks like needing to eat 3 meals a day, putting the dishes away, and keeping the floors swept begin to overwhelm me, that means my priorities are not straight and things need to be sorted out. It’s not as cute and quirky as I think to read 17 books at a time because I can’t commit to just one. It’s not edifying to be scrolling on social media as much as I do. I need to evaluate all areas that affect me. My digital life, my wardrobe, my bookshelf, my notebook collection, social media…Yes these things are worldly things. But they are unavoidable parts of my daily life as a creator and it’s my responsibility to steward them well. When you live, work, create, and cook from home 24/7, you need discipline and order or else all goes awry.

A lot of my autumn nesting energy has been put toward getting those areas under control. Part of it is mental work, like learning to let go of perfection and overthinking, but some of it is physical letting go as well, like getting rid of clothing options that overwhelm me, organizing my photo files better, only reading one book and keeping one notebook at a time, and actually finishing something when I start it. A good routine must be cultivated before hunkering down for a long winter.

One of the easiest ways to cozy up a space without spending any money is to rearrange lamps. Trust me on this. It sounds silly but it changes everything about a room when you move a lamp to a different corner. This is an effortless nesting activity that I enjoy doing this time of year.

Our furnace is on for the winter and its gentle hum is comforting. We have a new kitten here on the homestead that we are working on integrating into the family and home. Before November comes I must get the cold frames put on our winter greens and our pantry in order. There is much to do and I am glad to do it. Soon the gardens will rest and we will, too. Blessings, my friends.

—Kaetlyn