Write About It Wednesdays: October

Recently, I have found a new love for life, and I’m not entirely sure where it was sparked. Maybe its the cool autumn air, the beautiful colors of the changing leaves, or maybe being home for fall break gave me just the boost I needed.

Well, its no surprise that fall is my favorite season. There is something so refreshing about the transition from summer to fall, especially now that I live in Raleigh and fall means a break from the hot humid air of a piedmont summer. Also fall brings holidays, hot cocoa, and scarves. So, in honor of my favorite season and favorite month, I thought I would share with you a list of the things I love most about October and fall in general.

1. Blue Ridge Parkway rides (I recently went home for fall break, and was stunned by the beauty of the mountains paired with the vibrant colors of the fall foliage)
2. Starbucks Salted Caramel Mocha (I’m not big on the pumpkin spice, but I’m always down for some salted caramel!)
3. Hot drinks in general (hot coffee, cappuccinos, hot chocolate, and hot tea just aren’t the same in any other season)
4. Sitting by the fireplace (now that I’m away at college, I don’t know how often I will be able to find a fireplace to sit by, but it will always be one of my favorite things about fall)
5. Sweaters, Bean boots, and flannels (I am all about layering up and staying warm!)
6. The weather is pristine, warm days and cool nights (who doesn’t like crisp cool air and a nice sweater to keep cozy?)
7. Fall scents (whether it be pumpkin candles, freshly baked apple pie, or the smell of fallen leaves, the scents of fall are so wonderful)
8. Crunching leaves (is it childish to say that I still try to find the crunchiest leaves to step on… there is something so satisfying about the sound of leaves)
9. Beautiful sunsets (I have to say that overall, fall has the best sunsets of the year… hands down)
10. Holidays and family (fall has this amazing ability to bring people together. I guess as the leaves change, we start to remember what matters the most)

So, there is a quick list of the things I love about fall. Obviously I could write for forever, but I wouldn’t want to bore you with my autumnal obsession. If you want to read more, I wrote a poem about fall two years ago, and you can click on this link to read it.

I hope the rest of your week is absolutely fantastic (we’re halfway there!).

Peace out, enjoy life, and live the adventure!

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It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

For English class, we are required to complete five self assigned projects every semester. Since it is fall (also known as my favorite season) I figured that I would write a sort of poem about fall. Care to read it? Keep scrolling. Also, if you have any suggestions on what I should title it, leave it in the comments!

Warm hot chocolate, carving pumpkins, and cool nights.

Halloween movies, foggy mornings, and caramel apples.

High school football games, blankets, and hot tea.

Falling leaves, cozy sweaters, and fuzzy socks.

Bonfires, apple crumble, and haunted houses.

Pinecone wars, turning on the heater, and cuddled up in scarves.

County fairs, pumpkin pie, and knitting.

Falling leaves, cozy sweaters, and fuzzy socks.

Halloween costumes, crisp fall air, and toasted pumpkin seeds.

Hats, warm banana bread, and breaking the wishbone on Thanksgiving.

Freshly cut wood, candy corn, and family game nights.

Falling leaves, cozy sweaters, and fuzzy socks.

Festive gourds, cinnamon scented candles, and chicken pot pie.

Warm apple cider, corn mazes, and crunching leaves.

Hay rides, red noses, and jumping in giant leaf piles.

Falling leaves, cozy sweaters, and fuzzy socks.

When all of this comes to an end,

Let us not forget the joy these few months bring.

Let us cross our fingers that we will experience these months again.

Falling leaves, cozy sweaters, and fuzzy socks.

Hancock Shaker Village

This Thursday was the first day of Horizons at Miss Hall’s. As the Miss Hall’s website states, “Horizons is our experiential, off-campus learning program. Part of the academic program, Horizons gives Miss Hall’s students opportunities to volunteer and intern each week at social service and cultural organizations, businesses, and professional offices.” I was placed at Hancock Shaker village for Horizons this year. I was a little bit skeptical about what it would be like, but after the first day on Thursday, I can tell that I am going to have a lot of fun. 

Hancock Shaker Village is a living museum that continues the life of the Shakers Village. There are people dressed in Shaker costume who demonstrate the crafts that the Shakers performed while they lived there. They give tours of the restored dwellings and buildings, display the history of the Shakers, and if you visit, you can even learn a Shaker song or dance.

Now, I’ve told you all this about the “Shakers,” and just now realized that you probably have no idea who the Shakers are. The Shakers were originally a radical sect of the Quaker religion that became known in the 1760’s as Shaking Quakers due to their ecstatic worship practices. The name was later shortened to Shakers. Both music and dance play a large role in the Shaker worship services. They believe that participation in the worship service involves one’s whole body rather than just their voice.

For more information, check out Hancock Shaker Village’s website: http://hancockshakervillage.org/

Another big part of Hancock Shaker Village is their livestock, which is where I come in. I am volunteering with two other girls in the farms and fields of Hancock Shaker Village. So, we get to help take care of the animals for the whole school year. When we got there on Thursday, we were given a tour around the grounds and shown where we were going to be working. As soon as the quick orientation tour was given, we were put to work. The first thing we did was we cleaned out a chicken coop. Now, my brother had chickens for a few years, so cleaning out a chicken coop was nothing new for me. When the chicken coop was cleaned out and new sawdust was put down, we went on to collect the chicken’s eggs. There were some beautiful dark brown eggs with spots, and some light brown eggs too. We cleaned off the eggs that were dirty and put them away in the fridge. By this time we only had about thirty minutes left until the bus came and picked us up, so we were allowed to take out the baby chicks. They got to run around in the sun and grass until we had to leave. We got to pick them up and play with them and watch them play with each other. It truly made my day! 🙂

I had forgotten my camera, so the other girls that I am with took some pictures and sent them to me. Here are some pictures of the cute little chicks.