Autumn is in the House

I was looking around here the other day and realized all the little ways
Autumn fills the house at this time of year.

Not the least of it is the abundance of root vegetables
that seems to overload my weekly market share.

Squash, Swiss chard, onions, shallots, garlic bulbs, potatoes...
all find their way into stews and soups and casseroles,
filling the kitchen, indeed the entire house, with a rich scent of "Harvest".

Pots of herbs are also spreading their aromatic spell,
tucked safely into my kitchen planter
where they'll find shelter from the frosty nights.
Whether I can keep them alive until Spring is another story.
Fingers cross't.

And then there are the apples!
Cortland, Macoun, Macintosh

Every week I gather more, unable to resist their scent, color,
and the memories they trigger when I see them arranged in bowls:
School days, kicking through leaves, the aroma of cinnamon,
and the warmth our stove would spread throughout the kitchen.

There are bowls of them on the table, bowls on the sideboard, bowls everywhere.
But they won't be a still life for long.
Soon enough they'll find themselves inside all the delicious
seasonal recipes I love to bake this time of year:
Apple Crisp, Apple Nobby Cake, Apple Sauce.

Autumn is in the house, and it could not be a more welcome guest.