October is the time to commemorate many historical events, such as the Chicago fire (Oct. 8, 1871) and the collapse of the stock market (Oct. 29, 1929). And last Monday we observed Columbus Day,marking perhaps the most important event commemorated in October, the discovery of America.

Christopher Columbus first laid eyes on the New World on Oct. 12, 1492. Schoolchildren celebratethat anniversary each year, but for most people it passes with little notice.

“And yet old Christopher was a hero worth remembering and honoring,” wrote Celestine Sibley in her book, “For AllSeasons”: “In this space age, with the unknown analyzed and documented and explored, we forget what courage it must have taken for that son of a Ge-noa wool-comber to take his three frail ships and strike out across ‘The Sea of Darkness,’ as the Atlantic Ocean was then called.” Columbus believed in his voyage so strongly that he persuaded his priest and, through him, Queen Isabella of Spain to believe too and help fi nance his trip.

October is also the month for enjoyments of all kinds. Football season is in full swing and we were thrilled with the Lions homecoming victory with four exciting goal line stands in overtime to close out the game. October is the time for area arts and crafts fairs and we saw the shoppers flocking to the tents near Hiwasse as we drove through on our way to Jane, Mo., last Thursday. The air was crisp, the sky was blue and the maples, sumac and sweet gums were bursting with color.

Sibley had something to say about the craft fairs too. She related how Georgians go to Alabama to buy quilts and swap hound dogs and bring home herbs and pottery, Alabamians go to Tennessee and Tennesseans step over into the Carolinas to pick up a watercolor for the living room or a white oak basket or a handwoven rug. It’s not that they can’t find such handiwork closer to home. It’s justthat it’s October and it’s wonderful to be out and about admiring the beauties of the land. It’s even better if you can bring home a little keepsake to remind you of October’s glories.

As children, when we learned the alphabet, we were taught that “A is for Apple.” It’s no surprise that “A is also for Autumn” and “A is for Appetizing.” October is the time when we find the crispest apples with their sweet, juicy flavor, one of the joys of the season. On a recent Saturday we visited friends on Honey Creek Road who invited us to share their crop. I took a bag and wandered through the orchard gathering a few. We also picked up several pears, which I’ve been enjoying. Some I sliced and spread with chocolate peanut butter and others I stewed and served over dark chocolate brownies. Do you see a pattern here?

Our quilt class members had a pleasant outing when we drove to Gentry to eat Mexican food and attend the quilt show there. Then, last Saturday, we had our regular meeting and received instruction on a lovely autumn leaves pattern block. We were treated to some of our favorite dishes of fall when a couple of the good bakers in our group brought pumpkin pie and oatmeal cake. That evening, desiring some heftier, stick-tothe-ribs fare as the weather cooled, Jim cooked a potof lentils and smoked sausage for our supper.

The pecans on our tree out near the shop are beginning to fall and I’ve harvested a few. I picked up black walnuts in my spare time last week, gathering them for a friend south of town and at a couple of homes inside the city. I gathered nuts until it was almost too dark to see them Tuesday evening, then for a shorter time on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Jim loaded the bags Saturday and when I came home from quilt class we took them to the huller. I was surprised to discover I’d collected 400 pounds of nuts!

The distinctive fl avor of black walnuts is delicious in fudge, brownies, cakes and pies. Hammons Products in Stockton, Mo., is the buyer for the walnuts harvested here. The folks at Hammons Pantry suggest adding them to chicken, seafood, wild rice, pasta and vegetable dishes to add a rich nutty fl avor. They’re low in saturated fats, have no cholesterol and are high in the good fats which lower “bad” cholesterol levels (LDL). They also contain iron, minerals and fi ber. Recent studies have indicated that people who ate nuts once a week had 25 percent less heart disease than people who avoided nuts.

Susan Holland, who works for the Westside Eagle Observer, is a lifelong resident of Benton County.

Opinion, Pages 4 on 10/23/2013