NOVEMBER - The dark, dreary, sometimes rainy month!

I have to admit that November is not my favorite month with its dark dreary, sometimes rainy, and many times chilly days. Thanksgiving allows us to look forward to good food and time with families. This year, because of the pandemic, my husband and I are staying home, cooking a turkey dinner together, complete with stuffing, pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes, and cranberries. We’ll Skype with the children and grandsons via electronic devices. And, we’ll manage. We know  “this too shall pass.”

On a brighter side, November is the time of the year to enjoy decorating for autumn with its brilliant reds, sunny yellows, and warm orange shades. It’s pumpkins, leaves, and colorful mums of all shades.  It’s time to enjoy finding a favorite spot, soft cozy afghan, and a good book. And there’s always apple cider, flavored teas in spice, berry, and lemon or maybe a cup of hot chocolate, topped with marshmallows.

Since I’m a fan of Robert Frost. Here is one of his poems to enjoy.

My November Guest - by Robert Frost

My sorrow, when she’s here with me,
     Thinks these dark days of autumn rain
Are beautiful as days can be;
She loves the bare, the withered tree;
     She walks the sodden pasture lane.

Her pleasure will not let me stay.
     She talks and I am fain to list:
She’s glad the birds are gone away,
She’s glad her simple worsted grey
     Is silver now with clinging mist.

The desolate, deserted trees,
     The faded earth, the heavy sky,
The beauties she so truly sees,
She thinks I have no eye for these,
     And vexes me for reason why.

Not yesterday I learned to know
     The love of bare November days
Before the coming of the snow,
But it were vain to tell her so,
     And they are better for her praise.

Be sure to check out my Musical Christmas Series.

Three romantic mystery novellas for the holidays.

     JUNE ~ The Pianist

     ADELENE ~ The Violinist

     LUCY ~ The Clarinetist

BON APPETITE - A WEEKEND TREAT: Pumpkin Cake

September is here and so are the pumpkins. Leaves are beginning to dry or take on color, sumac is turning red--and all the smells of autumn waft in the air. Everyone knows I’m a fan of the taste of pumpkin whether it's pumpkin cookies or pumpkin pie (with lots of Kool Whip or ice cream to accompany it). Here is a little recipe for pumpkin cake.

  

Pumpkin Cake with Apple Cider Glaze

 

For the Cake:
1 Yellow Cake Mix
1 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree           

For the Glaze:
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons apple cider
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Empty the contents of the boxed cake mix and pumpkin puree into a large bowl. Using a hand-mixer or stand mixer beat until well incorporated. The batter will be very thick, but will come together nicely.

Pour batter into a greased 7 x 11 X 2 pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not over bake.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan, then flip onto a platter.

Make the glaze while you're waiting.

Combine powdered sugar, apple cider and pumpkin pie spice. Glaze should be thick but pourable. Add more sugar or cider if needed. Pour over the cake while still warm. Reserve some to pour over each slice when served.

 

WILLIE, MY LOVE

Finalist in the American Fiction Awards 

for Historical Romantic Mystery

CLEARFIELD FALL FESTIVAL - October 12, 2019

Autumn is here, and around the corner is the Clearfield Revitalization Corporation’s FALL FESTIVAL on Saturday, October 12^th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown, Clearfield, Pennsylvania. I’ll be there with my books, some wooden pumpkins and stars and lots of time to chat. So please stop in to say hello and see all the wonderful vendors, arts, crafts, entertainment, and food booths.

  

I’ll have WILLIE, MY LOVE, my newest novel, set in Clearfield when the logging industry thrived. 

 Here is a little blurb about the book:

The year is 1856. White pine is king of the forest.

The last thing Jonathan Wain wants to do is ride miles through Pennsylvania’s wilderness to help his father’s logging partner in the small settlement of Clearfield. His family owns clipper ships in the Chesapeake Bay that carry the coveted logs to the markets each spring, and they can’t afford a loss.

The last thing Wilhelmina Wydcliffe wants is a handsome sea captain from Maryland meddling in her father’s logging operations under attack by unknown enemies. A feisty tomboy and better known as Willie to her crews, she has a dream to be the largest logging operator east of the Mississippi River.

When both Willie’s and Jonathan’s lives are threatened, they are forced to work together to find their enemies before both of their companies are in shambles. But as their attraction to each other escalates, can they set aside their differences, unearth the truth and troublemakers, and discover contentment in each other’s arms?

Skidding logs during the winter.

 LINK FOR AMAZON PURCHASE:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P87GNCZ/ 

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JUMPING THE GUN ON AUTUMN

Goldenrod

Today, while my husband mowed the lawn, I started trimming some of the plants and shrubs that look like they were dragged behind a fast moving car on a dirt road. I know I’m jumping the gun on my transitional plan of moving from summer to autumn this year, but our outdoor vegetation seemed to have reached its peak and gone over the proverbial edge.

Most of the leaves on the flowers are brittle and brown. The ferns are brown-tipped and tired-looking. The Black-eyed Susans have lost all their petals. And many other drooping flowers have gone to seed with the exception of goldenrod and asters that line the roads.

So when exactly is fall?  This year, it will be Monday, September 23^rd. The first day of fall lands on the Autumnal Equinox in the northern hemisphere and lasts until the Winter Solstice in December which starts on the 21^st —the shortest day of the year—and in the Northern Hemisphere, the darkest day. 

In the stores and landscape centers, mums, gourds, and pumpkins have popped up on displays. Pumpkin spiced coffee is in the cafes and donut shops, and apples are piled high in the supermarkets. Cider is now available.  The scents of cinnamon and nutmeg drift in the air.

 I have to admit, autumn is one of my favorite seasons. It brings cooler, crisp temperatures, colorful maples leaves, and a cozy feeling when you break out the homey fall foods. What is better than the smell of a roast with vegetables in the oven, pumpkin pies or cookies baking, or applesauce simmering on the stovetop? And who doesn’t like a cup of hot chocolate at night?

Are you a fan of fall? Or do you like another season better? 

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