"Sometimes you have to look reality in the eye, and deny it."**

His soul has in its Autumn, when his wings
He furleth close; contented so to look
On mists in idleness--to let fair things
Pass by unheeded as a threshold brook.

John Keats from The Human Seasons



Lurking round is that old familiar super-sized combo of ennui due to the World Series ending--too quickly--and sinusitis from staying too long outside since the days have been perfectly blue, gold and cloudless the past week, with days in the 60's.

Allergies make me a little dopey and disinterested in anything that usually makes me happy...bleh And I miss Audrey and Erica even though the days are long gone when they would partake of any Halloween pumpkin carving or costumes. I can still see Erica in my mind's eye the last year she went trick-or-treat-ing dressed as a rabbit coming out of a huge hat. Sweet, sad and priceless! So today I sat and counted the millions of leaves that have fallen from our trees when I wasn't reading On Beauty by Zadie Smith, recommended by Erica for Smith's writing talent but more importantly because of 'our family's star appearance!' on every page.

I know if those guys were home for Halloween we'd all be sitting down to enjoy this recipe that we made nearly every year:

Dinner in a Pumpkin

1 medium pumpkin
1 lb ground beef sauteed with onions & celery
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 T brown sugar
4 oz mushrooms (fresh or canned, sliced and drained)
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups hot cooked rice

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 10" circle in center of a foil-lined baking sheet; set aside. Place pumpkin on a firm surface. Using a sharp knife, cut out stem end and about 3 inches around stem. Cut on a diagonal by slanting knife from outer edge of pumpkin in toward center (important so the lid doesn't fall in!) Reserve top. Remove seeds and pulp; discard. In a medium bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Spoon mixture into pumpkin. Replace top. Place pumpkin on greased baking sheet. Bake about 1 hour or longer in preheated oven until pumpkin is tender. Serve cooked pumpkin along with meat filling. Makes 6-8 servings.

[scarecrow in vacated garden spot along the road]

Thank you, God, for this good life and forgive us if we do not love it enough. Garrison Keillor

**title also Keillor quote