Didn’t we have it all?

Fall is in the air, crisp cool winds, beautiful foliage and magical moments that will take your breath away.

It is with a heavy heart that I kissed away the summer but how could I resist all of the above?

We took an amazing evening hike with the pooches and they once again taught us to love every moment. As I watched them swim in the cool waters, surrounded by a symphony af the most amazing fall colors and the rugged beauty this area is so known for, I was overcome by so much beauty that it almost made me cry.

One thought was on repeat in my mind, like a broken record, I kept repeating ‘We have sooooo much, we have so much”. Yet somehow we had all bought into this scarcity mindset and had forgotten about the beauty and the abundance that surrounds us. The thought snuck into my head”THIS is heaven”. Was modern technology and industrialism the poisoned apple?

Have we made a bad deal and walked away from paradise for an illusion of a better life? No modern invention, not a day at a fancy spa, a shopping spree at my favorite store or a meal at a five star restaurant can even come close to the peace and harmony I feel in my heart, now that I am surrounded by this awe inspiring nature.

I thought of my garden. The one I had planted in a hurry and with no particular knowledge on how to. Yet, so much had grown in abundance. Watching it grow, anticipating the harvest was an amazing feeling. And then to see how much seeds my plants gave me for the next year, sooo much promise.

I had so many beautiful days this summer, I swam in one lake or the other pretty much EVERY day (of course the pooches swam with me). I picked local fruit and vegetables almost every day. The smell of sweet ripe peaches, hmmmm. The branches so laden with fruit they touched the ground. The scent of wine ripened tomatoes and fresh herbs. All the farmer’s stands where I was equally overcome by beauty of the freshly harvest bounty and the still practiced honor system, where you helped yourself and put some money in a mason jar.

Now each stand was boasting gorgeous pumpkins of all shapes, sizes and colors. And again I am overcome with this feeling of abundance. The generosity of met neighbors almost brought me to tears, knowing the hard work that went into their amazing harvest.

I am saddened to see all this go but don’t think for a even a quick minute, that I will confuse this abundance with the choices in a super market. All that feels so sterile and mass produced to me. Thank god I froze and canned a bunch of summer treasures.

I am already counting the days to spring but in the meantime I am loving hunting for wild mushrooms,learning so much about them. And loving coming home to my warm wood stove oven which has usually one thing or the other slow roasting in my cast iron pot.

How could this NOT be heaven?