Book of Days

September is flown and now it is October, height of fall. It’s rare for me to want to be anywhere but where I am right now, but in October, a strong sense of wanderlust creeps up on me. Autumn is just not as spectacular here in Lake Worth as it is in New England or Appalachia or any of the other places I’ve experienced it. Sometimes people from those places come to Lake Worth in October and this is something I do not understand. Why would you leave all that red and orange foliage and blue sky? Why would you say goodbye to all those apples and pumpkins and cornstalks and chilly nights? Just to see more green? Please.

Anyway, if you have all those things this month, know that I am intensely jealous and that in my heart, I am right there. If someone’s telling ghost stories tonight by the fire, pull up a chair for me, if you don’t mind, and pour me a glass of cider. Thank you. That would be a wonderful gift.

My gift to you, meanwhile, is the October Book of Days calendar from Convivio Bookworks. It’s a printable PDF document for those of you who wish to pin it on a bulletin board. Here’s the link again:

http://www.conviviobookworks.com/Images/October2014.pdf

Speaking of ghost stories, I hope to have one for you toward the end of the month, around Halloween, as is only right. Generally, I don’t publish the stories here in the Book of Days Blog; the stories I write about Lake Worth are called Convivio Dispatches and they come to you as an email, and if you don’t get them but would like them, you can sign up for them here:

http://www.conviviobookworks.com/pages/contactus.php

A new dispatch went out last night, in fact. It was called “We are Content.” It has to do with the lingering effects of our town’s original motto, Satis Habemus, and touches upon some local history, too, namely Boutwell Dairy, and though you may have never heard of Boutwell Dairy, if you enjoy half and half in your coffee, you probably owe a huge debt of gratitude to this place. Intrigued? Sign up. I love sharing these stories with you. Why else would I write them?

New month, new Convivio Book of Days calendar. It’s September, the month that brings autumn by the almanac to the Northern Hemisphere. And I’ll let you in on a secret: Autumn is our favorite time of year here at Convivio Bookworks. Which is a little strange considering autumn is such a subtle thing in Lake Worth. But when we have the chance, we like to steal away to more northern climes and get a glimpse of golden foliage and apple orchards. Seth and I have been known to drive north with an empty pick up truck and come home with that same truck laden with apples and pumpkins, especially if they are heritage varieties like Rouge vif d’Etampes, the red Cinderella pumpkin from France, or Jarrahdale, the green pumpkin from Australia, or beige Long Island Cheese pumpkins. (If you know anyone locally selling these types of pumpkins this year, let me know. I’ll be their best customer.)

Pumpkin patches speak to me of possibilities. I can remember weeding the big pumpkin patch at the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Community when I was interning there, sitting there in the dirt amongst bold green leaves and yellow flowers and ripening pumpkins, and sensing there was a story to tell that emanated from that pumpkin patch. In a way, it was that idea that evolved into the Convivio Book of Days. The first calendar appeared in October 2003; naturally, it featured pumpkins. And the first Book of Days Blog chapter appeared ten years later, just last October. It, too, featured pumpkins. That first chapter was probably seen by a half dozen people, all, no doubt, related to Seth or me.

So here is September and I know the pumpkins are ripening on the vine. My vision for September was a local one this year: sea oats on the Lake Worth dunes, the plants closest to the edge of this vast continent, and at this time of year, they remind me of grain ripening in the fields. And so here is your September Book of Days calendar, a printable PDF document:

http://www.conviviobookworks.com/Images/September2014.pdf

September is a time of growing introspection: as we begin to gather in the harvest, so we begin to gather in our thoughts, our perspectives, returning focus once more to home and hearth. If you see those pumpkins I like so much, do let me know. I’ve been called “Pumpkinhead” plenty of times in my life, and I don’t mind at all. Happy September.

Image: Sea Oats at Lake Worth Beach.

In case you missed the Convivio Dispatch announcement on the First of the month about the August Book of Days calendar, well, here it is on the Convivio Book of Days Blog: The newest edition of the ongoing Convivio Book of Days calendar project is now available at our website. This month’s Book of Days calendar focuses on the traditions of Obon, which is one of the major summertime festivals in Japan. Thanks to the Morikami Museum in western Delray Beach, we here in South Florida get an annual immersion into this old celebration.

With August, summer matures and already is waning, heading toward fall. And by traditional reckoning of time, with the arrival of Lammas on the First of August, we have actually crossed over into autumn. We are headed for the equinox in September, approaching once again a time of balance of sunlight and darkness.

Here’s that link once more:
http://www.conviviobookworks.com/Images/August2014.pdf

The monthly Book of Days calendar is a printable PDF document. It’s designed to print nicely on standard letter size paper in the US (8.5″ x 11″). Think of it as a good companion piece to the Book of Days Blog.

Image: Lanterns in the nighttime sky at Obon at the Morikami.