September - A Beginning or an Ending

Have you ever looked at September as an ending?  After all, school starts in many locations in the northern hemisphere, the fall solstice begins on September 21st.  This is right around the time we say goodbye to summer and start seeing changes in the weather or the turning of the leaves.  I think of September as sort of a beginning and ending in the same breath.  Yes, those things I've mentioned do happen but it's also a time for gathering.  We harvest our gardens and prepare them for the next year.  That's my ending.  The beginning is my birthday, which I celebrate the entire month.  This is also when I evaluate or reflect on the year and set my intensions for the next year instead of using January 1st.  It seems that I remain faithful to my goals.  My new year's resolutions used to be quite lofty - workout every day, get organized, stop eating junk food, etc.  By January 2nd I felt like a failure.

September is also the time I feel closest to my family.  This is also when my excitement begins for the holiday festivities.

Besides all the walks through leaf-fallen paths, reflection, pumpkins showing up, re-connecting with oneself, the solstice is another reason to hold hands, sit around a fire pit and enjoy the wonders of this time of year.

Do you remember having to do homework before going outside to visit friends, pop quizzes, and school lunches?  School may have been the best of times ("the good ol' days"), or a time that is best left behind.  For me, it's a little of both.  So let's have some fun, without having to walk the halls, and get  us into the spirit of the month with these fun questions and scrambles:

1. October was considered the eighth month in what calendar? 

     a. Ancient Roman
     b. Ancient Greek
     c. Catholic
     d. Chinese

2. What is the name for the October full moon?
     a. Hunter's Moon
     b. Hooligan Moon
     c. Winmonath Moon
     d. October Moon

3. In what month does Oktoberfest begin in Germany?
     a. October
     b. September
     c. November
     d. August

4. Why did Benjamin Franklin want Daylight Savings Time?
     a. Children could attend school during the light
     b. Farmers could work longer
     c. He received the idea through a dream
     d. Economize the use of candles

5.  What is the flower for the month of October?
     a. Forget me Not
     b. Carnation
     c. Calendula
     d. Daisy

Did you know that hairspray does more than keep your hair in place?

• You can keep the exterior of pumpkins shiny by spraying them with hairspray.
• Spraying your holiday wreath will keep it looking fresh longer.
• One more thing hairspray can do is remove hair dye from a shirt or towel.  Spray the fresh stain really well, allow to sit, then launder.  Please test this in an inconspicuous area.  I have not actually tried this one.

P.S., Here are the answers:
1. a. Ancient Roman;   2. a. Hunter's Moon also know as Harvest Moon;   3. b. September;   4. d. Economize the use of candles;   5. c. Calendula

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