The days are stormy, the nights are steamy - it must be the end of July! 
These are the days I like to take refuge in the cool (if not always quiet) of my shady home, sipping a glass of iced tea and delving into plans for the months ahead. I've already shared my dreams and schemes for August, but here are some thoughts on September:
Nature: Lingering summer, a first taste of fall ...
- goldenrod ~ appearing alongside the road, a sure sign of summer's end
- seeds ~ in so many forms - bristles, burrs, whirring helicopters, bursting wildflowers
- milkweed pods ~ soft white fluff floating by
- apples ~ ripe in the orchard at last
- honey ~ It's National Honey Month!
- bees ~ busily gathering the last bits of summer
- Michaelmas daisies ~ tiny wild asters at the end of the month
- The Autumn Equinox (23)
- The Full Harvest Moon (26)
- green tomatoes ~ clinging to withered vines
- cool misty mornings, hot afternoons ...
- a first tinge of color in the foliage
- at the doorstep: chrysanthemums, cornstalks and kale
Food: Farmers Markets, Pantry Shelves and Bake Sales
- applesauce ~ homemade, with just a touch of cinnamon
- granola bars ~ just right for a soccer game or nature hike
- baking days are here again!
- picalilli ~ using up the last of the green tomatoes
- alphabet soup ~ a must for lunch on the first day of lessons
- blackberry jam tarts ~ before Michaelmas, not after
- baked apples ~ a cozy breakfast on a chilly fall morn
- the first Sunday pot roast
- hand pies filled with the last fruits of the season
- autumn shaped linzer cookes with homemade jam
- homemade spaghetti sauce ~ fill up the freezer!
- angel food cake ~ on the Feast of the Archangels
Faith: Ordinary Time continues ...
- The Month of Our Lady's Seven Sorrows
- The Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary (8)
- The Feast of the Holy Cross (14)
- Michaelmas/The Feast of the Archangels (29)
Home:
- clean the kitchen thoroughly (well ahead of holiday baking)
- organize art materials
- set up pantry shelves/downstairs freezer
- clean fireplace and check heating system
- new shoes, slippers and pajamas for the fall
- review chores and allowances
- work on homemade Christmas gifts and orders
- hang autumn garland and lights
Family Life:
- Labor Day (3)
- New academic year kicks off! (4)
- New NFL season kicks off - Go Pats! (6)
- Fall parish barbecue
- Grandparents Day (9)
- My grammar school reunion
- (Not) Back-to-School Picnic
- Planning meeting with homeschool support group
Stories: (Themes ~ harvest, homes, seeds, bees, apples, dragonflies)
- Christopher's Harvest Time
- Hello, Harvest Moon!
- Peter's Old House
- Houses and Homes around the World
- The Three Snow Bears (New Jan Brett: 9/14)
- A Seed is Sleepy
- The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive
- The Life and Times of the Honeybee
- The Life and Times of the Apple
- Apple Picking Time
- Johnny Appleseed
- Eliza and the Dragonfly
Field Trips:
- the farmers market
- the orchard:
- apple-picking
- a harvest hayride
- a building site
- the library (get a card for whoever has come of age)
Crafts/activities:
- make leaf crowns and name the Autumn King!
- make paper lanterns
- dry apples and hang on a string
- tell apple stories (find the stars inside)
- nature puppet stories (based on backyard tales)
- make up a fresh batch of homemade play dough
- bake homemade pretzels
- make a family handprint cross
- make pinwheels on a breezy day
- make felt library card pouches
- make blackberry jam
- plant spring bulbs in the garden
- make harvest soup
So much to look forward to, as there is every year! What are some of your favorite things about the month of September?
Well, I'm going to start updating my sidebars soon (now that I've got my new template all set - I think!). I plan to put up some monthly book lists to begin with and then I'll see what else I can come up with. ;)
Have a lovely last day of July!
