Oh, September

We are into the second half of September and it's going quickly. I have taken advantage of the beauty of the season and enjoyed some cooler temperatures. The day before the baptism I was in Des Moines with Dale. We enjoyed a perfect patio lunch and a quiet respite at Moffit Reservoir. One of us even fell asleep.

This is part of my September harvest. It's actually about half of my potato harvest. I didn't get lots but when I pull a few carrots and onions I can actually make a garden meal! I hope to get a fall crop of spinach but it's not looking good.

We were passing through Independence on our way to Amish Country when we stumbled on a farmers market and decided to turn back to check it out. The market itself was quaint but it was held in the shadow of this very picturesque mill by the river. It slowed us up a bit getting to the Amish harvest but the morning light was beautiful on the Wapsipinicon River.

I love this time of year and was a little confused when my heart felt extra heavy this week. It didn't take long to realize that I was missing Randy even more than usual. It's Randy's birthday on Thursday and I have many Autumn memories of Randy including trips to visit him in NYC. I also remember vividly my phone call to him on the morning of 9-11. He was surprised that I had been able to get through but told me that the city was bruised but not broken. That was less than an hour after the planes crashed into the World Trade Center. I was relieved to find that Randy had not yet gotten into the city and was watching it unfold as he stood on the NJ side of the river. His attitude that day comes back to me this time of the year. I have many memories of Randy and miss him terribly. I guess in September I miss him just a little bit more.