I’ve been hearing several folks ask the question “Where did October go?” and I’m right there with them. Here in southern New England, the end of summer seemed to come as quickly and finally as a departing train, waving goodbye until next year. Weather turned chilly, the garden began to fall asleep, and some of my summer bucket list remained unchecked. The foliage displayed its color changes later than usual, though arguably more vividly, and before we knew it, we were past peak color and every yard was a sea of leaves. Although autumn has been another whirlwind, I was glad to peek at my autumn bucket list this morning and see much of it already checked off.

I had been spending months with wildly long to-do lists, but I wanted to savor the first few weeks of autumn, my favorite season, as much as I could. I slowed down where possible and cuddled up with a book, broke out a jigsaw puzzle, made very seasonal plans with friends, and more. I hope you’ve gotten to slow down and enjoy some of it too.

An Autumn Bucket List Check-In
What I’ve checked off thus far:
-Take my mother and uncle to Salem and Marblehead, MA, during their September visit.
-Take a ride on the Essex Steam Train in Essex, CT.
-Watch a Hartford Athletics soccer match with Andrew and our friends Margaret & Raghib.
-Visit NYC again just as the foliage begins to turn (which I described in my last post).
-Go see the adapted Arsenic and Old Lace play at our town’s playhouse.
-Plant lots more bulbs around our yard.
-Have a Practical Magic viewing night with Margaret (complete with red wine chocolate cake & NA midnight margaritas!).
-Take lots of walks and gaze at the foliage.
-Take a tour of my town’s Old Center Cemetery with Margaret and learn more of the local history.
-Visit the charming town of Beacon, NY, and peruse the vintage clothing shops, check out the large town flea market, have great coffee & enjoy a delish pastry, sip cocktails & savor Italian food, and take time to watch a band, a drum circle, & fire dancers as part of their music & arts festival.

What’s left:
-Take a long hike.
-Finish updating more of our kitchen (not very seasonal, but I’m excited nonetheless).
-Visit Ender’s Falls in Granby, CT.
-Get my bike back in working order and enjoy lots of trails.

I’d love to hear what you’ve been doing this autumn, and what else you have planned.

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What I’ve Been Reading
–Flaneuse: Women Walk the City in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice, and London by Lauren Elkin (I just started it, but so far what I know is that it’s part travel memoir, part exploration into the term “flaneur” and why it should have included women, and I’m very excited to dive into it more.)
–All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot (A classic memoir of a veterinarian in the Yorkshire Dales during the late 1930s. Andrew and I both absolutely adore the newer show and can’t get enough of the stone buildings, rolling hills, lovely Yorkshire accents, and top-notch costuming.)
–The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall (A cozy fiction read set in northern California and marketed as “Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic“.)
–The Herbalist by Heather Morrison-Tapley (Another work of cozy fiction with dashes of magical realism. It’s set in a tiny village in England and had me wanting to return ASAP. As if I didn’t already want to return.)
–The House on Prytania by Karen White (I love this paranormal fiction series set in New Orleans. Karen White seriously knows how to bring settings to life in her novels and I feel as if I’m walking the streets of NOLA every time I read one of these.)
–The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis (Part historical fiction, part mystery, and set primarily in the gilded age Frick Mansion on New York’s Upper East Side.)
-Issues of my beloved Yankee Magazine, which is all about my adopted region of New England.
If you can’t tell, I love reads with a strong sense of place.

What I’ve Been Listening To
–Travel with Rick Steves Podcast
–Hidden Brain Podcast (Thanks to the recommendation from Margaret)
–The Bossa Nova Classics Spotify Playlist

What I’ve Been Watching:
-The latest season of The Great British Baking Show
–Welcome to Wrexham (Andrew and I are relatively new to the show and are loving the glimpses into the town of Wrexham in Wales in addition to all of the heartwarming support of the Wrexham football club.)
-The 1996 Patrick Stewart version of The Canterville Ghost (Gotta love a story set in a centuries-old English manor house).
–A Haunting in Venice (I was a bit disappointed by Kenneth Branagh’s two other Poirot adaptations, but I enjoyed this eerie reimagining complete with stunning images of Venice, an old palazzo, and a great cast.)

Where I’ve Found Awe Lately
-Unsurprisingly, in this year’s glorious autumn foliage.
-In an old ivory factory-turned vintage store/animal sanctuary/café by the name of Pandemonium in Deep River, CT.
-Along the gorgeous walking trails in Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord, MA.
-In the sunflowers that bloomed in our back yard until very late in the season.
-At my local pick-your-own flower farm (Willow View Farm) here in Suffield, CT, where my book club recently held an incredibly magical meeting.

May the remainder of autumn slow down a bit,
Lara