When I am in a creativity lull, I find that going straight to prompts is my only way out. I started back in with the #my_365 prompts on Instagram yesterday because my paltry collection of fall pictures was making me sad. And today, I thought I would go back to my 31 More Things Prompts to get my writing muscles moving again.

When I opened up the page, the prompt that jumped out at me was ‘makeup’. After Halloween weekend, there was material to be had.

On Saturday afternoon, a gaggle of tween girls fought for mirror space in our upstairs bathroom. They were transforming their fresh faces and needed makeup to do it. Some came equipped. The collection pictured above is still here. It’s not ours but it was perfect for this picture. You can see the new with the old. The samples next to the Rite Aid purchases. Some insisted on covering their perfect skin with foundation as I ran back and forth from the girl’s bathroom to mine collecting q-tips and cotton balls. Some expertly applied eye liner and mascara. The dancers and actresses, used to putting on the face of an adult before taking the stage. Some needed help and a more steady hand to create the change.

My mind flash backed as it often does now. I don’t think I wore make up in middle school and frankly have few memories of it until college. Even then, my memory is of my college room mate being terribly confused by my bare face. I struggle still to use make up. My eyes are sensitive and my hand shaky. Like so many other things, I want to tell these girls not to rush. I want to tell them how many years they will have of trying to change their faces. Of trying to cover blemishes that aren’t really there.

For this weekend though, it was all in fun. They came away looking grown up and beautiful. And then they took to the streets, pillow cases at the ready. They laughed and ran and collected candy for hours. Children still, playing the role of the grown up while doing childish things.

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”

-L.M. Montgomery

This weekend we took our annual pumpkin picking trip to DePiero’s Farm. We actually began getting our pumpkins at DePiero’s before we even moved. According to the picture below, Rob’s parents brought DePiero’s pumpkins with them when they visited us in Richmond.

Apparently, Caroline looked like this the first time we went to DePiero’s for Halloween in New Jersey.

And Katherine looked like this.

And somehow, these are the girls now.

I find that all sad enough but then add to it that this is the last year that DePiero’s will be open. DePiero’s opened in 1924 when 16 old Dante DePiero opened a small fruit and vegetable stand. Rumors of DePiero’s closing have circulated for as long as we have bought our pumpkins there. Every single year we have talked about it being our last Halloween at DePeiro’s.

This year though, the tradition really is coming to an end. Work on the incoming Wegman’s has already begun. There are fences separating the parking lots and construction equipment is lined up, ready to work.

We sat in the cafe for donuts and hot chocolate after we chose our pumpkin, feeling sad. Rob’s been going to DePiero’s for as long as he can remember. Katherine feels like trips to DePiero’s are among her earliest  memories.

I’ve written before about the power of tradition and I was reminded of it again this weekend. There is such beauty for all us of us but for children especially in the repeated actions of our years. We talked about where we would get our pumpkins next year. I mentioned Demarest Farm where I go each week of the spring, summer and fall for our produce. No one seemed exited by that idea. I have a feeling that without DePeiro’s there may be no more family trips to choose pumpkins. If the girls were younger, we would certainly find a place. But now? I’m not sure.

So goodbye DePiero’s. Thanks for helping us to create one of favorite family traditions.

Quotes, the recent prompt from Ali Edwards 31 More Things came at a great time.

There is a lot of talk about the state of the blogging world. Many of my favorite bloggers (Lindsey, Nina and Kristen) have all written about it lately. I am in my own season of questioning what I am doing here. Do I focus on literacy or write widely? Do I schedule my posts or write only when inspiration strikes? Do I promote on social media or let readers find their way organically? I could go on and on.

But what I always come back to is that this is a place that makes me happy. This is where I put my words out in to the wide world. This is a place where I connect with people I only know in this world. This is a place that helps me to organize my thinking and be creative at the same time.

And blogs are where I often stumble upon new words that I rush to write down in my notebook before I forget their wisdom. Just yesterday I found my new favorite quote at Katrina Kenison’s blog.

So here it is. A quote that speaks to the power of the blogging world and why I am not leaving it any time soon. It is this virtual space that makes me pay more attention to the world outside of my computer. Go figure but it is true.

“Paying attention changes everything. Gratitude transforms a day, a life, the world. Choosing to see beauty creates more beauty. Nothing is on hold. Nothing lasts. Nothing is wasted. And so this really is it: the mystery, the miracle, the pain, the joy, the whole human catastrophe. And we get to be here, now.”

-Katrina Kenison