Welcome to Toni Taddeo's
Tuesday 4.
This week, let's talk about October. Toni sure enjoyed facts about the months and questions on that topic too.
1. What are your feelings about the month of October? Does it bring anything special to mind for you? Do you have memories to share?
This week, let's talk about October. Toni sure enjoyed facts about the months and questions on that topic too.
1. What are your feelings about the month of October? Does it bring anything special to mind for you? Do you have memories to share?
October has many memories attached...I don't even know where to begin.
My happiest memories growing up were the family traditions we shared in our family. On Halloween I can remember from my earliest childhood going from house to house with my parents. My mother and father both dressed up in costumes, and we kids were costumed as well. My mother's favorite costume was that of a country girl with apple red cheeks, blacked out front teeth and wearing a yellow checked gingham dress, and playing a rather squeaky tune on her violin. My dad was dressed up as a farmer (which he was) or a hobo, and we carried a bag full of dried corn kernels from our farm, from which we would throw hands full at the door, yelling "trick or treat" until the inhabitants would come to the door and act so surprised to see us. They would pretend they were scared or they would ooh and ah at our costumes, and then try to guess who we were. We would hold up our sacks and they would cheerfully fill them with all kinds of candy (and even apples back then), and sometimes even invite us in for hot chocolate or apple cider. Then we'd be on our way to the next house.
2.Have you ever gone apple picking? Pumpkin picking? Any kind of picking including banjo picking at all? Do you bake pies with those fruits?
3. What is autumn like where you live? How about when you were a child?
4.Autumn is not the same as Fall. Fall is the time when the leaves are actively falling. What activities of Autumn/Fall do you enjoy? Do you decorate your door or home for the season?
My happiest memories growing up were the family traditions we shared in our family. On Halloween I can remember from my earliest childhood going from house to house with my parents. My mother and father both dressed up in costumes, and we kids were costumed as well. My mother's favorite costume was that of a country girl with apple red cheeks, blacked out front teeth and wearing a yellow checked gingham dress, and playing a rather squeaky tune on her violin. My dad was dressed up as a farmer (which he was) or a hobo, and we carried a bag full of dried corn kernels from our farm, from which we would throw hands full at the door, yelling "trick or treat" until the inhabitants would come to the door and act so surprised to see us. They would pretend they were scared or they would ooh and ah at our costumes, and then try to guess who we were. We would hold up our sacks and they would cheerfully fill them with all kinds of candy (and even apples back then), and sometimes even invite us in for hot chocolate or apple cider. Then we'd be on our way to the next house.
I've shared these pictures before, but they bring back such happy memories of the fun we used to have with our kids and others for Halloween or at Fall Festivals at our church.
These were our sweet little boys bobbing for apples for the first time. Benton and Scotty on the left, and Matthew and Scotty (with me assisting) on the right. I think Matthew had a loose tooth, so that could be why he needed some help!
And then of course, what's good for the kids is good for the parents! Yes, that is yours truly on the left, and my hubby on the right. I was dressed up as a hobo for our "Hobo Party", but here I look like a drowned hobo!
Of course for many years after we moved back home to Florida from living in New England, we traveled back to Maine each October to visit our son Matthew and his wife Nicole and our grandson Noah, because Noah's birthday is in October. We always enjoyed being able to see all the fall foliage in the beautiful Maine and New Hampshire area as well as have a wonderful time with our family. Sadly since our son passed away in 2014 we haven't been back up in October since, but our grandson has been down here a few times to celebrate his birthday with us here in Florida. We've tried to make plans to go back up there the last couple of years, but of course the ugly covid monster kept us from fulfilling those plans. Hopefully things will be better next year!
Here we are with Noah on one of those trips many years ago. (He's 22 years old now, so yes, this was probably at least 10 years ago)
One the best things we always did together when we went to visit was to go to the Fryeburg Fair, which always falls on the same week at Noah's birthday.
Here we are together arriving at the fair, and our other son Scott also lived up there at the time, so he joined us.
Noah and "Uncle Scott" always had fun riding all the rides at the fair.
And this was the last time we were up there all together for Noah's birthday, October 2013. Same location as the previous picture. Matthew passed away from cancer the following May, 2014, after a four year battle.
So yes, October has a LOT of memories for our family.
2.Have you ever gone apple picking? Pumpkin picking? Any kind of picking including banjo picking at all? Do you bake pies with those fruits?
I baked this apple crisp last night. It was SO good!! We had the "kids" over for a fried chicken supper (fresh and hot from the grocery store deli)...and had this for dessert.
It's been many years since I've literally been apple picking. We don't have Apple Orchards in Florida, sadly. So my apple picking is at the grocery store. And our pumpkin picking is also at the grocery store, however sometimes we find a pumpkin patch at a local church or community and it's always fun to go pick a pumpkin there.
My current pumpkin "patch". LOL.
Autumn where we live now is not quite as exciting as Autumn up north. But we still enjoy the beautiful fall like weather all winter long while up north people are freezing and shoveling snow and scraping ice. So Florida does have its advantages!
I have this one picture of me with my maternal grandmother, taking a walk on an Autumn day, many moons ago. I don't remember this walk, but I am so glad I have this picture to remind me that we did have some special times together. Click Here for more about my Grandma Tedlie.
Of course, I do remember raking leaves and jumping in them as a child. And when we moved to Ohio with our own little family, I made sure that was one experience our three sons had that first autumn:
4.Autumn is not the same as Fall. Fall is the time when the leaves are actively falling. What activities of Autumn/Fall do you enjoy? Do you decorate your door or home for the season?
Our current front door decoration
Yes, I love to decorate for autumn. Lily Grace already shared our current decorations with you HERE
I will change it out as we get closer to Thanksgiving with some Pilgrims and turkeys and other more thanksgiving-ish decorations.
It's time to bring out the owl hand towels for the bathroom...
And take a "Hot Apple Pie" bubble bath, if you dare! LOL
Most of all, I believe that autumn is a season when we should celebrate the change of the seasons with fun family and friend activities...bonfires, weenie roasts and toasted marshmallows, (s'mores!!) apple pie and pumpkin pie, soups, stews, and just good old country cooking and outings. Even if you live in the city, there's a change in the air and attitude in the fall. People seem to come out of their homes and take more walks in the fresh air, take rides into the country for the country fairs and festivals. It's just a happy harvest season and I have to say I love autumn most of all the seasons!
Other posts you might enjoy about traditions and memories in the month of October (or autumn):
I baked an apple cake this week. I love the organic Galas we can get in the stores right now. Love your photos, it's hard having sad memories in the Fall. I struggle with some but I'm better this year. I make more of an effort, I think! Enjoy your day and this beautiful weather! Hugs, Diane
ReplyDeleteOh Pam! These are such fun and sweet memories of October. I so enjoyed reading about your family traditions and they way you have celebrated fall over the years. I love your current wreath too. Hope you have a wonderful rest of your fall!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful autumn visits you've enjoyed. Perhaps next year will be the one when you can visit in October once again.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post! Fall is wonderful time of year!
ReplyDeleteYou have shared such wonderful memories here, Pamela. Yes, I do love Autumn with its refreshing temperatures and colorful leaves. It seems like nature puts on her best show for all to see right before the winter sets in.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
I really enjoyed your memory photos! Such a good sport you were - bobbing for apples with the kids!! And how special to remember your family trips north. Here's hoping you can make another one sometime soon!! I also like your front door. I think I have the same wreath...I should add a similar ribbon. It looks great! Have a wonderful week!!
ReplyDeleteOh my word ... your Halloween memories made me smile wide! I vaguely recall bobbing for apples with my friends when I was but 7 or 8. Not sure why that went by the way; nowadays the germ police wouldn't hear of it. Ya, I'm convinced our generation was the most fun. This photo of you and Grandma Tedlie, so precious, and your boys in the leaves. Makes one want to burst out in song, "We will have these moments to remember...." (LOL)
ReplyDeleteEven for a non-fruit person like myself, your apple crisp looks DELISH! Now, I'm wondering about those apple pie bath bubbles. Does it make you hungry?
A "Hot Apple Pie bubble bath" -- now that's unique and would probably be fun.
ReplyDeleteYou have most special memories made in October. Thank you for sharing them with us. Your son Matthew was a handsome man with a good-looking family!
My sister, the "Avon Lady", gave me that bottle of bubble bath. I haven't tried it yet, so I can't really say how it would be...somehow I have a hard time linking hot apple pie and bathing...LOL. thank you for your kind words. (((hugs))) to you
DeleteFor me October/fall or autumn, means cleaning out the garden and getting ready for that soon to come snow.
ReplyDeletePam: I see a lot of your boys in that picture of your husband getting ready to dunk for apples. Peace and blessings to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteI have to chime in with my thanks, too, for sharing those memories. I remember so much of what you posted, in my own life! Only I never successfully got an apple when bobbing. What beautiful times you have shared -- your childhood sounds so wonderful and you made sure your boys had a wonderful autumn, too! Precious, precious memories!
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely memories of October and Halloween. I can't believe you went "corning"...with your parents! I thought throwing corn at houses was a local/regional thing because I've never run into anyone from outside this area that did it. By the time I moved here as a kid it was considered naughty and the kid who got caught would be in big trouble. Today's kids don't do it at all. This small area also used to have a tradition called "bagging" for the kids considered too old for trick or treating. We'd leave bags on the porch, ring the bell, and run to hide out of site. Some folks were cranky and would take our bags or simply ignore us. Others were nice and would put some candy in them or holler that they'd give us candy if we came out and showed ourselves (some kids might have been known to put out multiple bags to get more candy). Mostly it was the thrill of being allowed to run around after dark.
ReplyDeleteWell, that was in Clarion, PA, where we did that. Didn't do it here in Florida, that's for sure! But in Clarion, or at least out in the country where our farm was, back in the early 1950's, I guess it was common. And I remember the people always invited us to come inside so they could guess who we were, etc., and it was a really big deal back then. But these were all country/farm people who knew my parents and so it was all in good fun. I was very very young, but I remember that part of it!
DeleteI am always amazed at the photos you have and share with us! Fabulous family fun and also so much beauty. The apple crisp looks SO good! The apple bobbing... so fun! Love your wreath! A very fun visit today, Pam! xo
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining in. You make such a good presentation from these questions and I do love the ideas you have contributed!
ReplyDeleteI think I have to start baking again.
Oh my goodness, the pictures! So adorable.
ReplyDeleteBlessings. xx
Grinning...thank you Pamela. I am with the others, you always amaze me with your photos. smiles
ReplyDeleteLoving all of your photos. Nothing like pictures from our childhood. How fun that your parents dressed up too! Your pie looks delicious. I haven't done any decorating yet. I'm thinking I should just start my Christmas tree!
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet post, Pam. It looks like you have many happy memories of October and fall. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteLove and blessings!
I love your memories and the old photos. I'm so sorry your son passed so young.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed seeing your photos; especially you bobbing for apples! How fun! What great memories you have! :)
ReplyDelete