Autumn

Today is community garden day - Harvest celebration day - I think we are making bulk sauerkraut. We also have piano. There will be a library visit and I'll try for a bit of horse manure collecting as well.

Hmm, we'll see how it goes.

Wednesday is one of our "out" days, in other words, our car day. We try and make the most of it.

Amongst all of that we will also acknowledge the Equinox - the balance of light and dark.

• Noticing the dark rushing into to fill the evening time and enjoying more space in the evening as the girls head into sleep earlier.
• Watching the kereru fatten up on the cabbage tree seeds.
• Savoring every warm day we get so as we can feel prepared for the coming season.
• Squeezing in more and more autumnal goodness onto the seasons' table - it always gets so full at this time of the year.
• Collecting herbs for to make strengthening tea and brewing honey syrup to strengthen the hive in time for Winter.
• Bringing in food from the garden every day and running out of preserving jars as I always do at this time of the year. Where do they go during the year?
• Clearing vegetable beds and building composts.
• Planning in my head garden extensions for next season.

Today we will forage a little, eat cake and share the gratefulness we feel for all that we have from this good earth.

We might plant something - I'm not sure what yet, perhaps some seedlings, perhaps a wee tree that has been waiting, whatever we have. We'll try to plant whatever it is with intention, as a gift back, in the spirit of reciprocity.

Our humble acts that we make through the year to acknowledge the shifting seasons have slowly evolved with our family and continue unfolding. Most importantly for me they nurture our relationship to the good earth.

Mostly we have made it up as we have gone along.

It's always a good reason to eat cake.

Happy Autumnal Equinox to you and your families.