Friday, October 30, 2015

costumed for a bloggiversary

I've been blogging here at my juicy little universe for 7 YEARS this month.  I thought of doing A Thing to celebrate back in September, but by the time October 15 rolled around these plans and even the momentous event itself escaped me.  (We have officially reached the stage where the kids have more obligations and events than their moms.)


not quite my costume, but you get the idea
So today I'll just remark that for at least 5 of those 8 Halloweens, I've gone to school dressed as Mother Nature, or more specifically Lady Autumn.  I wondered whether I should make a change now that I'm in 2nd grade, but I just love the deep green velour dress with its texture and sweep, and I adore how the colorful paper leaves look pinned or taped against its background, just like the changed trees stand in contrast, both mellow and sharp, with those still staunchly chlorophylled.

I went looking for a poem to match my wonder every October at this color scheme and was dismayed by the length and complexity of every suggested poem I found at the Poetry Foundation (but it was very late).  And then I remembered this:

"Autumn time:
days get cool, it's back to school.
It's Autumn time:
the world turns golden brown...
Mother Earth's about to change her gown.

She loves to change her season;
It's Mother Earth's routine.
Green to brown, brown to white
white back into green--
she changes clothes
and puts on something clean.

And she has reasons
for changing seasons--
You have to change to grow;
You have to change to grow."

- "Mother Earth's Routine," from the album Mother Earth

Tom Chapin and John Forster do it again and provide the perfectly detailed simplicity I'm looking for.  Thanks, guys!

 

The roundup today is with Jone at Check It Out, we think!  See you there.


10 comments:

  1. Lady Autumn! How beautiful! Elena and her friends considered dressing up as the four seasons (but they ended up deciding to be fictional characters. She's Lizzie Bennet, natch.) That's a charming song :-) More ideas: October Melody by Eileen Spinelli and October haiku by Charles Ghigna,

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  2. I'm so glad you remembered this poem, Heidi. It's new to me and lovely. Lady Autumn sounds good for all ages! I was a clown with slightly different accessories every year! Hope you made it through today. While fun, the Halloween party day was rather tiring. Happy Halloween!

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  3. In a deep green velour dress I imagine you look very elegant and regal!

    I'm glad you included the music. A co-worker and I were talking about library services to the handicapped people who are mandated by NH law to be out in the community (which often is the library, for hours on end). We decided that the best way to reach ANY group is through music!

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  4. I love the image of "Lady Autumn!" Happy bloggiversary!!

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  5. Dear Lady Autumn,
    My standard costume is the constellation Orion. We make quite the pair.

    Thank you for these lines and the reminder:

    "You have to change to grow;
    You have to change to grow."

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  6. Oh, a green velour dress sounds so elegant and fun. I used to dress up as the Pumpkin Lady, dressed in an orange billowy toga with an upside down pumpkin shaped quilted basket on my head, and silver sandals - accessorized with pumpkin jewelry. I'd find a planning time at the end of the day or someone to take my class while I went classroom to classroom giving each child and teacher a pumpkin candy. The kids had lots of fun, and would ask if I was going to be the Pumpkin Lady this year - to which I would reply, "What? I'm not the Pumpkin Lady!"
    No candy in school anymore. Sometimes I think we just need to lighten up and have some fun!

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  7. I don't like to change and grow. It is hard. But you're right - it has to happen.

    Congratulations on seven years!

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  8. Congratulations on seven years of blogging! Your deep green velour dress sounds gorgeous, and "Mother Earth's Routine" is the perfect complement.

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  9. I love imagining you as Lady Autumn. And thanks for the Tom Chapin video--I heard him in concert 30 plus years ago, so you've spun the earth backwards for me.

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Thanks for joining in the wild rumpus!