It’s time to enjoy warmth of summer but coming of fall

There’s a new-found energy in the air with the arrival of September. When September comes, themany glories of autumn and the pleasures of summer are with us to enjoy simultaneously. On somedays it’s as warm and sunny as the middle of summer, while on other days we can feel the tantalizing approach of autumn.

There’s something about September’s transitional quality that makes it like no other month. We can walk around our neighborhood, see bright bursts of color and smell the sweet scents of late summerblossoms. At other times, cool nights and foggy mornings tease us with the impending arrival of a new season.

Football is always one of our favorite pastimes on autumn evenings, and Jim looks forward to the beginning of the new season each year. We were pleased that the Razorbacks won their opening game, andthat evening I attended the pee wee Lions game to watch sister Nancy’s grandson, Austin, play. He did well as the center on the Big Black squad, and his team won the game 26-6. They had a home game again last Saturday when they defeated the Big Orange team 32-6. The season is underway for the senior high team,but they’re still looking for their fi rst win.

The last week of August, the publisher treated our newspaper staff to lunch at the Wooden Spoon as a thank you for the paper’s awards at the annual APA contest. He also expressed appreciation for our efforts to put out a goodpublication week in and week out throughout the year. We all agreed that a free meal was a good means of saying “thanks.”

Our editor recommended the catfish dinner, so I ordered it and enjoyed the crispy catfish, hush puppies, green tomato pickles and potato salad. I topped it off with some of the restaurant’s famous bread pudding but had to bring a good portion home for a later meal.

The Labor Day holiday provided us a long weekend at home, and we took advantage of the extra day off work. Jim mowed the yard on Saturday and I burned the brush pile that we’d been accumulating for several weeks. Later that afternoon, Jim trimmed the sprouts and vines atop the cellar. I carried the debris to our burning spot to begin a new brush pile. I fixed BLTs for supper, a quick and easy meal in order to make it to Austin’s game on time.

I picked one of our green peppers on Sunday and added it to some I’d boughtat the farmers’ market to make stuffed peppers for supper. We enjoyed the peppers with a fi lling of seasoned ground beef, chopped onions, rice and tomato soup and had enough for leftovers the next day.

Don’t forget this Saturday is the “My Grandma’s Quilt Show” at the Gravette museum and civic center.

I’ve entered a couple ofquilts and signed up to work the afternoon shift at the show. I plan to drop by and admire the colorful array of quilts on display. You’ll be able to view some excellent examples of the quilter’s art, both old and new.

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

News, Pages 4 on 09/11/2013