Sunday, November 6, 2011

Squirreling Away

"...No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds,
November!"

Thomas Hood

These are the final lines of Thomas Hood's poem November. I could have printed the whole thing but I find it depressing, and better suited for February, which I find depressing. I'm sorry, Mr. Hood, but I think you're mistaken. There's plenty to appreciate in month eleven. For instance, a certain blogger celebrates her birthday in November *ahem!*. And as for beauty, just look at these frosty fields.


My friend Kristi at Thicket House, who shares my affection for acorns and squirrels, captures the spirit of the month best when she says: "Squirrels are a good symbol of the 'all is safely gathered in' theme of November".


So the man and I had a wonderful weekend of doing just that - gathering in. Lookit! All these peppers from the garden in November. Whaddya say to that, Tommy Hood?


And using up the last of the heirloom apples (some of which, by the way, can still be picked in November, H.)


Squirreling away some homemade applesauce...


...to keep company with other remembrances of the summer garden


And while birdsong may cease, the music of the axe chopping wood is lovely to my ears


No worries, no complaints--November
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35 comments:

  1. tamarahillmurphy.comNovember 6, 2011 at 7:06 PM

    Amen! I love November!

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  2. JodiNovember 6, 2011 at 7:14 PM

    Thanks, Tamara :)

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  3. KitNovember 6, 2011 at 7:44 PM

    Yeah! In your FACE, Tommy Hood! November rocks! Another blogger ALSO has her birthday in November *ahem*...makes it even better. Oh, and Lucy, too...I had never heard of Thomas Hood before just now, but he is SORELY mistaken.

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  4. JodiNovember 6, 2011 at 7:49 PM

    Kit, I love you.

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  5. EmilyNovember 6, 2011 at 8:20 PM

    I agree! Some of my favorite people are born in November! (You among them of course.) I always loved the poem "November is a lady in a plain grey coat" - have you read it?

    And as for your comment on my blog, hahah! No worries at all. I was just reading too many Philip Marlowe books for my detective class and trying to channel my inner 1930s detective. I'm not going off the deep end ... although I do often wonder whether ants have trouble finding food for their wives and kids ;)

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  6. Southern GalNovember 6, 2011 at 9:05 PM

    I have to agree. His poem is depressing and more suited to cold winter. November still has loveliness left to it. Birthday months are the best!

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  7. Joy LakeNovember 6, 2011 at 9:15 PM

    I agree; November is a beautiful month and it brings that warm holiday glow No need to bash on February though *ahem* other bloggers have their birthday then ;D

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  8. NiamhNovember 6, 2011 at 9:34 PM

    Perhaps February is the beginning of babies born in November?

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  9. JodiNovember 6, 2011 at 10:27 PM

    Joy, hahaha, ooops...
    There are some wonderful, beautiful, and amazing people born in February. Which adds color and radiance to an otherwise dull month. I'm sure Niamh would agree.

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  10. JodiNovember 6, 2011 at 10:29 PM

    Emily, I totally forgot about "November is a lady in a plain grey coat". That's a great poem. Thanks for reminding me. xx

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  11. NancyNovember 6, 2011 at 10:29 PM

    November is WAY better than February. And don't even get me started on March!

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  12. JodiNovember 6, 2011 at 10:29 PM

    Southern Gal, definitely better suited for cold weather. :)

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  13. Brandee ShaferNovember 6, 2011 at 11:11 PM

    Your post makes me feel cozy. I especially love the blue-green color of that wall behind the firewood...also the little squirrel. We haven't had a frost here, yet, and many of the leaves are still ablaze. I blogged an autumn poem today, too; we were thinking alike! When in November is your birthday? (My mom's was the 1st.) November is TOTALLY better than February!

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  14. Thickethouse.wordpressNovember 6, 2011 at 11:13 PM

    I am really impressed that you harvested peppers in your garden. We've had that killing frost here and I could only have harvested kale and parsnips had I planted tham. As it is, I'm picking parsley, and sage from the deck.

    Wasn't Jo March born in November? Isn't that somewhere in Little Women?

    Yes, I just found it:

    "November is the most disagreeable month in the whole year," said Margaret, standing at the window one dull afternoon, looking out at the frostbitten garden.

    "That's the reason I was born in it," observed Jo pensively, quite unconscious of the blot on her nose.

    "If something very pleasant should happen now, we should think it a delightful month," said Beth, who took a hopeful view of everything, even November.

    "I dare say, but nothing pleasant ever does happen in this family," said Meg, who was out of sorts….

    "My patience, how blue we are!" cried Jo…. "Oh, don't I wish I could manage things for you as I do for my heroines!…I'd have some rich relation leave you a fortune unexpectedly…."

    "Jo and I are going to make fortunes for you all. Just wait ten years, and see if we don't," said Amy, who sat in a corner making mud pies, as Hannah called her little clay models of birds, fruit, and faces. "

    I'm glad you have a more positive attitude to this month, Jodi! And love your shelves of gathered in harvest!

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  15. JodiNovember 6, 2011 at 11:30 PM

    Kristi, I'm amazed about the peppers, too. There's still some on the vine, believe it or not. And we've had a killing frost, not to mention a snow storm. They must be a very hardy variety. Thanks for the Little Women excerpt.

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  16. JodiNovember 6, 2011 at 11:31 PM

    Brandee, the 28th. And the one shining spot of February for me is my daughter Joy's birthday.

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  17. ChelseyNovember 7, 2011 at 2:55 AM

    Happy Birthday Month!!!

    My kids were super excited to see the frost. My 5 year old was convinced it was snow. (although a very fine layer I suppose lol...)

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  18. amyNovember 7, 2011 at 8:34 AM

    Did you know we have so many california gray squirrels at my house? so. many. and we love them. and they are crazy. we were cleaning the car once and took the twins car seats out and accidentally left them outside over night. In the morning they were torn to shreds. There must have been some food under the covers that our friendly neighborhood squirrels wanted. Oh well. We still love them. Despite the fact that they eat all the bird food and break the bird feeders. But i'm not complaining.

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  19. CindyNovember 7, 2011 at 9:44 AM

    I love the line "all is safely gathered in"...it needs to be on a piece of art or cross-stitch! I can just feel the coziness settle in all around my soul and spirit here...

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  20. Janie FoxNovember 7, 2011 at 10:41 AM

    Hood Schmood. I agree November is one of my faves. My husband is done in the fields...he is home with the early dusk and all is well. Mr Hood needed to come to IL in Feb. It is dismal by then.

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  21. JodiNovember 7, 2011 at 11:17 AM

    Amy, you are patient and kind. My favorite squirrels are the red ones and black ones.

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  22. JodiNovember 7, 2011 at 11:18 AM

    Cindy, that's a great idea. And thank you for visiting.

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  23. JodiNovember 7, 2011 at 11:19 AM

    Janie, I'm jealous. I'd love for my husband to be home early dusk, which is one of my favorite times of day because of the light. You speak my language, girl.

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  24. ChristineNovember 7, 2011 at 11:37 AM

    Living in Canada, November is a scary month for me, it means a lot of freezing rain and often a wicked-shut-down-the-entire-city snowstorms, but for you it should be a blessing, Happy Birthmonth to you!

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  25. LeslieNovember 7, 2011 at 12:42 PM

    Did I know you were a November birthday girl? No wonder I love you! As a fellow *ahem* November birthday blogger, I can't help being fond of this month, as well (even though Florida is pretty sunny right now.) I love your photos of the frosted grass and the piles of chopped wood - it brings back memories of that lovely "my birthday is coming and after that, Thanksgiving, and after that, Christmas (maybe snow!)" feeling. (I lived just south of Chicago, growing up, so snow was a maybe for December.) Oh! And those apples look perfect for pie baking!

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  26. OliviaNovember 7, 2011 at 3:07 PM

    Your posts delight me, Jodi. Our November has been rather more Octoberly and bright than usual this year. I see November as the delightful bridge between beloved autumn and the Joyous Season--nothing sad about that at all! Thanks for the peek at you 'squirreling' and these comments made me smile as well.

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  27. OliviaNovember 7, 2011 at 3:26 PM

    And speaking of November birthdays, one of my favorite people was born in this month--C.S. Lewis!

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  28. JodiNovember 7, 2011 at 3:55 PM

    Olivia, thank you. As far as birthdays, I'm in good company, then. ;)

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  29. JodiNovember 7, 2011 at 3:56 PM

    Leslie, <3

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  30. AmyNovember 7, 2011 at 8:58 PM

    I remember thinking November would be a good b-day month before I had my girls (based it on Billy Graham and Madeleine L'Engle). I got a December, January, and April--and I still think November would have been good too:) Happy month to you:) You make November look yummy here. And I like you a lot better than the squirrel that found my yard and keeps eating the bird seed!

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  31. UnknownNovember 8, 2011 at 12:11 AM

    I love November too. I really love it. I develop a deep desire to stay inside, and cook and eat and sleep by the fire. I develop an obsession for fires and cozy things. It's really a lovely month. I've recently began collecting cheese for no good reason. These are the things of November. LOVE IT!

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  32. JodiNovember 8, 2011 at 7:09 AM

    Hey, I collect crackers for no good reason! No wonder we're such good friends :)

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  33. JodiNovember 8, 2011 at 8:19 AM

    Amy, thank you for liking me better than squirrels. haha

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  34. JenNovember 8, 2011 at 8:18 PM

    I've always struggled with liking November. Thanks for such a wonderful reminder of its beauty.

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  35. UnknownNovember 29, 2011 at 10:16 AM

    November messes with my head.
    I fear the coming months of preferring cozy which makes me lean a little too much into melancholy.
    But I love it for so many other reasons too. It's always so unpredictable and that does me a world of good even if I don't see it right away.
    And then suddenly it is Advent and I start looking forward spring again.
    I'm weird like that .

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