There are so many things to love about this season, not the
least of which are Einstein’s Bros pumpkin bagels with pumpkin schmear, scarves
and jackets, squash soup (made from home-grown produce), General
Conference, and of course Thanksgiving. But my favorite thing about fall is
hiking. Thankfully I had several willing hiking companions (and biking and
climbing companions) this year to share adventures with. And occasionally I was
able to retreat to the mountains alone to enjoy the crisp air, autumn colors,
and *not getting attacked by moose.
*an essential element of a positive outdoor experience
The most fitting commentary to include in a post about Fall
might come from Bilbo Baggins, no stranger to the allure of the great outdoors,
and an avid hiker. “You step onto the road,” he warned, “and if
you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
And like Bilbo I’ve learned that Nature, in turn, makes you want to sing, or sometimes
cry, often demands frolicking, and even inspires the spouting of poetry. I
remember he used to recite:
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
Here follows a brief synopsis and far too many pictures of some
of my favorite times this fall, and TIPS
I picked up along the way:
TIP #1 Time outside
is good for the soul.
Like President Uchtdorf, I am a big
proponent of spending time outside. In October 2010 he suggested:
"that you reduce the rush and take a little extra time to get to know yourself better. Walk in nature, watch a sunrise, enjoy God’s creations, ponder the truths of the restored gospel, and find out what they mean for you personally."
TIP #2 Grow a garden.
Someone wise once said:
"Everybody should have a garden."
-Karina
Cutler, novice gardener
And
I’m happy to report that the abundance of produce I got
out of my garden this year (and I know nothing about gardening) inspired
me to
spend some time on culinary exploits which produced delicious results.
If you, any one of my devoted readership, have good soup or curry
recipes to share, I’d love to try them!
These are my Go-to Veggie Stir-fry, Squash Casserole, Coconut Curry over
Salmon, and Salsa de Awesomeness.
TIP#3 Do not bike around Bear Lake in November.
It’s too cold. The end.
TIP#4 Watch General
Conference. Watch or read it here.
To me the most distinguishing thing about this most recent
Conference compared to years past is that it was SO specific. Big current
issues like feminists and the Priesthood, same-sex marriage, depression and mental
illness, missionary work, religious freedom, and addiction all made the list… Our
leaders aren’t teaching principles in a vague ambiguous sort of way. They are
teaching specifically how eternal principles apply right now, to us. Neal A.
Maxwell in his 1974 speech entitled But
for a Small Moment said,
How
proud we ought to be to belong to a church that makes specific demands of us
and gives us specific things to do and marks the strait and narrow way, lest we
fall off one side of the precipice or the other. I am so grateful that God
loves us enough to teach us specifically.
Echoing what Elder Maxwell said (and said prophetically) this
Church does address specific needs. Now that I’ve had time to re-read all the
talks, I’m also amazed at how specifically and personally some of the talks
were directed towards me.
It’s hard to pick a
favorite talk, but if I could only recommend one, it might be Elder Dube’s Look Ahead and Believe. He talked about
a principle I needed to be reminded of, that faith is always forward looking.
Never look back…. In the sight of the Lord, it is not so much
what we have done or where we have been but much more where we are willing to
go.
Second on my list, and you should read this especially if
you are not a Mormon, or not an active Mormon, is President Uchtdorf’s Come Join with Us.
If
you expect to find perfect people here, you will be disappointed… here you will
find a people who yearn to know and draw closer to their Savior. …Doubt your
doubts before you doubt your faith.
TIP #5 (And this is more just an observation) Babies are great. And my family is the best.
Last but certainly not least, one of the blessings that made this particular fall season a great one is this cute lil' man! Benjamin makes nibling numero cuatro in the family and he's a worthy addition. No doubt Dave was proud to produce such a manly man for his first son. He's a hefty guy and has tons of hair! So excited for Mel and Dave.
