Season 36
“In Congo when we eat, we eat together from the same plate. Four, five, six people eating from one plate. This is to show you are a piece of the whole. We are only whole together. If you have a problem with somebody, you cannot eat with them. Sharing food is our way of showing love.” - Joseph*, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (from Casa Marianella newsletter) *Name changed to protect his privacy
Donate to Casa Marianella here and support displaced immigrants by welcoming them with safe housing, support, and services for a new start.
*If you see an asterisk next to a link, that link takes you to a video with sound. Just a heads-up in case you need to turn the volume down or pop on your headphones.
HOME
My son and I noticed a bucket of pears a neighbor put out on the sidewalk to share from her pear tree. He loves hard pears, so we stopped by after school last week. Sharing a harvest is a kind way to connect with others. We were very happy recipients.
Funny enough it had me thinking about the complexities of parenting (especially a teenager) and even my own role as a daughter. We share the harvest of our daily experiences in ways that can sometimes feel complicated.
Sometimes (especially as they get older - me included) we are eager to share what we have learned as well as our perspectives, and our children are eager to share what they have learned. Often that knowledge differs slightly based on our age and circumstances.
I’m learning how important it is to respect both perspectives even when there is a slight internal smile happening on the part of the parent as they hold onto the wisdom gleaned from lived experience. We also have much to learn from those eager and spirited young people.
Our personal harvest from this life is just that. Personal. We can only know what we know through lived experiences, but that doesn’t mean we should keep all that knowledge or even heartbreak to ourselves. It also means we can choose what we bring into our hearts and minds or how we absorb that information into our lives.
We can pause before we judge another person’s choices or situation. It’s something I am constantly working on. We are not silos. Our actions and what we share with others will affect them, people they know and even the greater community.
My husband has me hooked on watching Ted Lasso and one of the bits of wisdom from the show stuck with me. What if we were curious instead of judgmental?
To celebrate my husband’s birthday this past weekend, we made apple fritters using homemade applesauce. He’s never been a big fan of desserts, but he makes an exception when it comes to doughnuts or anything with powdered sugar.
I know it’s fall when I bring the apple peeler out of the cabinet and need to refill my half-pint jar of cinnamon.
This bright red apple peeler ($) has been a staple in our pantry for years. Watching local apples from our farm box twirl around the peeler always makes me feel that shift from summer to fall in the kitchen..
I’m always on the hunt for a new spice I haven’t tried or a new savory breakfast. This week I’m trying Muhammara dip with Aleppo pepper and a Turkish breakfast (I’m just subbing out some GF sea salt crackers for the pita). I ended up adding lemon and salt to my Muhuammara dip before finding this Muhammara dip recipe which might be the winner! Now I just need to locate some pomegranate molasses.
Have a recipe to share with any intriguing ingredient? Let us know in the comments.
GARDEN
One of the best ways to attract butterflies is to plant large patches or swaths of the same type and color of native plant rather than a collection of single plants. You can get a head start on welcoming butterflies to you garden with native plants by grabbing a ticket for The Wildflower Center’s native plant sale here in Austin, Texas. If you don’t live here in Austin, just visit your local nursery and ask which native plants attract butterflies.
Still experiencing hot weather in your part of the world? Zinnias and other heat-loving flowers are great options for those parts of the world that hang on to summer temperatures through the early fall months. Marigolds (like the ones at Arnosky Farms in Blanco, Texas) should be planted now to be ready for Dia de los Muertos on November 1st and 2nd.
WELLNESS
Nature’s lessons are both challenging and deeply rewarding
I love this quote from the Her82m2 YouTube video called *A Simple Country Day
CREATIVITY
I’m beginning to make a few fall adjustments around our home in the way of crocheted pumpkins, dried leaves and grasses, cozy blankets and pillows. Find more inspiration on my Etsy favorites board called “Hello, Fall”. I’d love to know your favorite fall finds in the comments below.
My favorite creative find so far this fall? Fairy doors…for pumpkins.
BOOKSHELF
Favorite Picture Books for Fall Holidays
Over the weekend I finished up Finding My Voice by Nadiya Hussain. What struck me most about this book is her honesty. I might as well have been sitting across the couch from her while she told her funny, poignant, and sometimes heartbreaking stories.
Her determination and drive to find a passion and a paycheck as well as break out of the traditional roles she faced growing up was inspiring. I’ve always loved her colorful kitchen and exuberance on her cooking shows, and the stories in this book are just as vibrant.
After Nadiya was asked by a teacher to write about a character in a book she related to, she realized that she had trouble seeing herself in many books. Her teacher said, “That is why we need more writers of different backgrounds, ethnicities, religions, and cultures. You should keep writing.”
So she did.
“That’s why I write, because someone will read it and they won’t be that girl, like me and many others, who traipsed along the soggy streets of Britain to find a story to belong in. I write because someone will find belonging in my story, whether it’s a recipe they read that reminds them of a taste in their memory, a passage to connect them to a particular place or a sentence that gives comfort.” - Nadiya Hussain, author of Finding My Voice
Content warning for Nadiya’s memoir: physical and verbal assault to a child by a child and child sexual assault
Reading: The Personal Librarian ($) by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray and Address Unknown ($) by Katherine Kressman Taylor and Margot Livesey
Listening to: The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together ($) by Heather McGhee
Recently Finished: Finding My Voice ($) by Nadiya Hussain, and The Jane Austen Society ($) by Natalie Jenner, Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything ($) by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, Whispering House ($) by Elizabeth Brooks, and Sparks Like Stars ($) by Nadia Hashimi
Up next: Dear Miss Metropolitan ($) by Carolyn Ferrell, Queen Sugar ($) by Natalie Baszile, and Rooted in the Earth: Reclaiming the African American Environmental Heritage ($) by Dianne D. Glave
In case you are looking for book recommendations for kids (or yourself!), gift ideas for all ages or want to peek into my TBR List for 2021, head over to the 52 Seasons Book Shop on Bookshop.org.
COMMUNITY
Help support these New Orleans Bookstores after last week’s devastating hurricane!
Tubby & Coo's Mid-City Book Shop
World Central Kitchen is providing meals and support to those affected by Hurricane Ida.
“Hurricane Ida made landfall on the US Gulf Coast this weekend (8/29/21) as an incredibly powerful Category 4 storm. WCK's Relief Team is in New Orleans and immediately following the storm's passing, began preparing hot, fresh meals along with sandwiches and fruit for first responders and families impacted. The WCK Team will continue to expand operations to reach more people in need across Louisiana.” - WCK website
DONATE HERE TO HELP WCK’s EFFORTS
An important article about displaced Black and Brown communities: Highway runs through Black homes, for a third time, in South Carolina (Washington Post)
"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." - Desmond Tutu
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Disclosure: ($) If you see this dollar symbol in a post, the link is an affiliate post. I will receive income or a discount on products if you purchase that item on Bookshop.org or anything on the Etsy, Campspot, Beauty by Earth, or Prana website using my link. Income from the products in these links helps me to keep this blog growing.