Kitchen Home News

**Comments on this post are not included in any prize drawing. Please comment on the current giveaway post (click the image in the sidebar on the right that looks like the one above - it will take you to the current giveaway). Or, on the mobile site, click the "Rue and Hyssop" header above, and scroll down until you see the current giveaway.** Welcome to the 4th annual Great October Book Giveaway! A little over five years ago when I started off on this blog journey, I don't know that I ever expected to meet so many amazing people, stumble across innumerable delightful blogs, discover fantastic podcasts, and be introduced to the loveliest folks on social media.  The connections that I've made, and the interactions with the charming visitors to this blog, have been a gift. There is not one day I regret hitting "publish" on that first post. (Although there are some cringe-worthy posts in the dark recesses of this blog, I'm sure.) This yearly party is my way

The harbingers of Autumn have heralded their news of the last of the harvest season, and have begun to fly south, or fatten up for either hibernation, or in preparation to weather the cold months ahead. Yesterday morning the mist rolled across the meadows for the first time, another portent to remind us that the chimneys had better be swept and the furnaces serviced. Although we're enjoying warm weather still, the nights have cooled, and that mist tells us that the earth is beginning to relinquish her warmth, in the embrace of the frosty, early morning air.   These are the best of days.  The midday heat is comfortable and friendly, perfect for exploring. The summer tourists have left to make way for the wine connoisseurs and the back roads are full of charming little buses carrying ruddy-cheeked grape enthusiasts to the Valley's approximately 140 wineries.   The evenings are still gorgeous, the last of the light slipping away earlier and earlier, leaving us with the beginnings

Fall has arrived, if not by weather, then by date. Seasonal folklore is rich this time of year. There are even certain seasonal rituals that involve swapping out clothing colours or shoe styles.  I've never been much for observing the "no white after Labour Day" rule, but I do enjoy changing out my purse when the light and dark hours shift.  Packed away is the bohemian shoulder bag for road tripping and the blue and white polka-dot summer purse, and out comes the brown bag with the faintest pattern that at first appears to be fleur de lys, but on closer inspection reveals grinning skulls. When I do a handbag-swap, I always make a bit of a ritual out of it.  I pull every item out of the purses to be packed away, and then give them a good shake-out.  If they are of a material that can be wiped with a damp cloth or even spritzed lightly with a gentle soap or cleaner, I do that to get rid of any dust, or other random materials like that melted peanut butter M&M  pen ink o

Tonight I sat outside and watched the sky blush pink. It was not the deep rose-purple of a summer sunset.  Instead the shade was a coral colour, stretching into tints that mimicked the salmon that are returning to our river to spawn.  It was warm, both in the hue of the sky and here on earth. The sultry months have extended their reach and show little sign of moving on just yet. Monday or Tuesday, depending on your time zone, marks the autumnal equinox although the days and nights will not be equal here in the Valley until September 25th, when the sun will rise at 6:48am, and set at 6:49pm. By then, if we're lucky, we may see the tiniest sliver of new moon in the west, just before dark.  It all speaks of plentitude, harmony, and the continued journey (seeming ever-so-rapid these days) of our lives as we rocket around the sun. After taking a good look at what our work has brought in as harvest, it only seems right to celebrate and acknowledge our own labour, as well as the unseen ha

“Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty…  I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life.   I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.”    ~ Theodore Roosevelt Sara wrote a post over at  Candlesmoke Chapel  this past week about her difficulty connecting to the deity/spirit that she feels has been calling to her, and I'm thankful that she chose to share her frustration - and here's why:   Sara does the work.   And the work isn't always easy. Sometimes our practice seems more accessible.  After you've put in the time.  The meditations, the journeying, the crafting, the circle casting, the dirt digging, the ecstasy - the roads open faster.  You don't have to wait at the gate anymore.  You've done the work and the door is wide for you. And those on the other side are expecting you. They know you. You've lit the candles and whispered the prayers or shouted