Last weekend, fall arrived with buckets of rain, leaving wedding attendees with cars stuck in muddy fields, and farmers and innkeepers stuck with torn-up turf. As it poured rain outside, I made chicken soup, filling the house with good smells. The soup felt so good to Charley and me as it warmed our insides and helped to fortify our immune systems against the colds and hay fever that keep plaguing us.
I guess it’s time to pull out the warm woolies and put away the white capri pants and flip-flops. Somehow, seasonal changes always take me by surprise. I know that we are given hints and clues with the occasional glimpses of the weather to come, but it still takes me aback to see that nighttime temperatures are now consistently in the 50s, and that I’d better bring along a sweater when I walk. I’m looking at the woodstove with a jaundiced eye — it is definitely time to make sure that the chimney is cleaned and ready. And it’s time to pull out the quilts, fold them up, and put them out on the couch for warming naps.
More seasonal news: If you want to have a great meal at the Outermost Inn, the last dinners for the season will be offered up through this weekend. Call and make your reservations! And I was sorry to see that the Gay Head Store up on the Cliffs is closed for the season. That little shop has done a great job of keeping a small but worthy supply of vegetables and other groceries available for us. I’ll miss them, but look forward to seeing them again next year.
Meanwhile, the family with whom I luckily share this homestead, Isaac, Noli, Emmett, and Tillie Taylor, have adopted a new dog. Rosie is a rescue mutt who wiggles with excitement, cuddles happily with whoever is sitting in the most comfortable spot, and who is trying harder than hard to learn how to live in a whole new environment. She has been introduced to the beach, with its waves and birds and sand, and decided that she is one lucky dog. The family waited a long time to find her, and are absolutely glad that they did. It’s love, for sure.
We had a spirited and friendly book club meeting at the Aquinnah library. Barbara Wallen, Margie Spitz, Vera, Rosa, and I all had fun talking about the Diane Ladd/Laura Dern book, “Honey, Baby, Mine.” It’s a book about mothers and daughters, a book about acting, and a book about love and honesty. Some of us loved it, some of us weren’t as enamored, but all of us were glad we read it, and loved talking with one another about it. Stay in touch with the library about future book club reads and dates. It feels good to spend time indulging in a life of the mind; so much of life is spent dealing with tasks. Give it a try!
Happy birthday wishes to Paul O’Donnell on Sept. 27, and to Grace Vanderhoop on Oct. 1.
This week I leave for California to participate in a grand celebration of life for my brother, Rob Edwards, who died in May. I’ll be back around the 20th of October. In the meantime, keep me informed of your news, and stay warm. I’ll miss being here.
If you have any Aquinnah Town Column suggestions, email Kathie Olson, aquinnahcolumn@gmail.com.
