This is one of my favorite moments in the cycle of the year: the golden burst of glory before nature goes to sleep for the winter. I love the deep layer of crisp leaves that swish as I walk through them--the earth's own warm blanket. The chipmunks are still busy gathering stores for their long lie-in. I've always thought I could be very happy as a chipmunk or a white-footed mouse. I think these are my spirit animals: hidden, quiet, sensitive, and nest-loving.

The bittersweet is prolific in the woods just now, and I couldn't resist bringing a piece home to decorate my new-old bureau. We went to the flea market Sunday morning and I was so happy to find it. I've been looking for one for a while now. It provides added storage in the living room for throws, magazine, games, etc. Plus, I get to decorate the top with seasonal loveliness.

Every season holds its own wild magic, but there is something about late autumn that fills my heart especially: the long nights and short, moody, wind-swept days; the fragrance of fallen leaves and woodsmoke; the making of gifts and baking of pies, breads, and cookies; the warmth of home and family. Now is the season of  melancholy and hope, of blessings recalled and whispered longings, of divine darkness before the return of light.