Wednesday, October 27, 2010

The End of October

Here it is, almost the end of October, and the month has flown by.  Halloween is just four days away.  My new grandson Peter is already eight days old!  For the past week, there's been such a flurry of activity in the home I share with my daughter Katie and her family.  Separated by a garage and a flight of stairs, my apartment is just steps away from their house.  We've established a balance of shared time.  I like to give them their family time together, though they welcome me into their part of the house.  For the past week, I've spent more time in their home than my own, helping a bit with Henry and now the new baby.  I'm proud of Katie -- she seems to have adapted from one-child-to-two with quiet confidence.  She has had a house-full of willing assistants (aka Grandmas) at the ready, and now it is time for her to fly solo, to handle two little ones for most of the day on her own.  I'm sure she'll be fine.

Last night, Katie set up the dining room table for pumpkin painting and carving.  She had grown a couple of pumpkins in her garden.  Massive pumpkin vines yielded lots of blossoms but just two pumpkins.  Henry had the happy task of painting those two pumpkins, the larger one for him and the smaller one for baby Peter.  We poured little puddles of paint on a paper plate.  Henry was in an artist's smock, and went to town like a little Jackson Pollock!  He kept asking for "more" paint, and was an intent little artist, quite pleased with his results.  Katie and Bill carved their purchased pumpkins.  Bill's is very creative, a 3-D pumpkin sculpture with eyebrows and a funny nose.  Katie carved a large monogram "H" for "Hofmann" on hers, to sit at the end of their split-rail fence on a bale of hay, greeting anyone who comes up the long driveway.  Along the top of the fence, she's strung little orange lights.  If you are wondering about my role during all this creative expression, it was to hold little Peter, who slept quietly in my arms while the artists were at work.

When the painting and carving were done, the pumpkins were lit with tea lights and placed on the front steps.  We turned the porch light off and went outside (it was a beautifully warm night) and spent a few minutes admiring the illuminated creations.   Henry was up on Bill's shoulders, in awe of the jack-o-lanterns and also of the beautiful night.  Trees were swaying in the night breeze, and fallen leaves were swirling about.   It was a peaceful, lovely moment with a growing, young family, and I thought, "I want to remember this."


Halloween postcard image:  http://www.autumnswitchery.byethost6.com/images/jackolantern.jpg

9 comments:

  1. That sounds like a wonderful fall memory! It must be so exciting having a new baby in the family! I am a Skidmore student, and am enjoying your blog a lot. Can't wait to hear from you tomorrow!

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  2. Thats really cool! i remember painting and carving pumpkins when i was younger too! I enjoy your blogs a lot! I am a Skid ore student and I'm excited to meet you tomorrow!

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  3. Hey Adirondack Baker,

    I really enjoyed this post. The memories are something I have as far as my family especially with my grandparents being so close to my family. My grandmom still enjoys times like these even though my brothers and I are much older now. We still color Easter Eggs with her haha. Anyway, look forward to meeting you tomorrow at Skidmore. See you soon.

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  4. Hey EN 105 bloggers, I'm really looking forward to your class tomorrow. And don't be surprised if I bring something I baked especially for you! Looking forward to it!

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  5. I wanted to carve a pumpkin this year, but i was pretty sure it would stink up my dorm room. I used to love spending hours picking out the biggest and least dirty pumpkin at the local farm. Can't wait to meet you tomorrow at Skidmore!

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  6. I really miss pumpkin's. This post reminds me of the pumpkin carving I would do every year with my family.

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  7. I love pumpkin carving! It so nice that you can share this lovely fall memory with all of us! Can't wait to see you at Skidmore!!

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  8. This is such a beautiful post. Your experiences with your family are very touching and makes me look forward to being a grandmother! It's great that you have all of these memories to share.

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  9. How is it that such a simple tale can bring tears to my eyes?! Thank you for invoking memories of days gone by - days when it was still legal to light a bonfire and make s'mores sitting on the curb @ 26 5th, without a worry in the world! And how appropriate it is that tonight @ Happy Hour @ Sperrys, while enjoying some fabulous appetizers courtesy of the kitchen, with my sister Peg and my dear childhood friend & neighbor, Marie Oppenheim, the beautiful O'Farrell sisters' were mentioned while reminiscing about a wonderful childhood!

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