Scan the sky and search the ground during autumn walks. Birds flying through crisp blue skies make their way south. Golden sunlight filters through trees, highlighting the angles of thinning branches. Falling leaves create gold, orange, and crimson-colored mosaics on streets and gardens. Rain drops cling to well-positioned surfaces and fresh air flows all around. Don’t miss one bit of this season’s show.
#1 – Gathering Words
While combing through a pile of books at a used book store, I came across a copy of Frederick by Leo Lionni. I already own a copy of this book, but because it’s a favorite of mine, I purchased it. My original copy of Frederick sits on a shelf with the books I will read to my grandchildren. The recently-purchased copy sits alongside my Greek worry beads and my “If I Only Had a Brain” music box. These three items form my writer’s block trinity. If you are looking for a gift for a child or any “word-gatherer,” I highly recommend this book.
It’s the story of a little field mouse named Frederick who gathers up supplies for winter in a different manner than the other mice. Rather than physically hauling scraps of food, Frederick gathers and stores words. For when cold winter days come and food runs out, Frederick uses his words to warm the little mice and renew their spirits. Bruno Bettelheim says in a review of this book, “The fable of Frederick, who is the dreamer among the little field mice, suggests the psychological truth that when we are in dire need, it is our dreams of happier times which alone can sustain us . . . A story about the glory of the human spirit.”
#2 – Describing Feelings
When children become frustrated and act out, adults will often say to them, “Use your words.” Whether you are a parent trying to help your child work out their frustrations, a writer describing a character’s emotions, or a person just trying to articulate what he feels, finding the exact words to use can be difficult. Take a look at This Vocabulary Wheel and chart and let them help you better define your feelings.
#3 – Three-Ingredient Recipes
If making a Creamsicle Cake that requires only three ingredients sounds like a winning recipe to you, you might want to check out the other 3-ingredient recipes from 33 Genius Three Ingredients Recipes That Will Change Your Life.
#4 – Best of October
Photograph by Christian Spencer
The National Geographic Photo Contest ended in October. Photographers captured and submitted stunning images from around the world. Feast your eyes on some of the best submissions in Photo of the Day: Best of October.
#5 – Autumn Persuasion
“Her pleasure in the walk must arise from the exercise and the day, from the view of the last smiles of the year upon the tawny leaves and withered hedges, and from repeating to herself some few of the thousand poetical descriptions extant of autumn—that season of peculiar and inexhaustible influence on the mind of taste and tenderness—that season which has drawn from every poet worthy of being read some attempt at description, or some lines of feeling.”
Jane Austen, Persuasion
Go now and spread joy!
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