Guest Post: Seeds of Autumn by Kimberly Brock


Fall 2011 button 




Does Fall make you reflect? It does for me, and I know it does for Kimberly, reading this wonderful Guest Post she sent us today! Take a ride with Kimberly down memory lane!

Every year we load up and ride through the twisting mountain highways that lead to this busy pumpkin farm, and always, I’m surprised by how beautiful the light is as it filters through the changing leaves. I expect the colors and the crisp air and the wonderful smell of earth and fruit and cut hay; I remember it and look forward to it all year. But it never fails that somehow, I have forgotten the exact sharp edge of tart apples or the explosion of shapes and colors that are the pumpkins, lining the fields where we meander in wonder. No matter how many times we return to the same little hollow, or how I cherish that experience, I can’t seem to hold its perfect clarity. By the time next year rolls around, I will have lost some of the charm of this year’s visit and I’ll be struck anew by the pure fall air, the dome of blue sky, the thick, golden haze that casts the whole day under a spell of ripe nostalgia.


pumpkin farm


This year, I stand in that rich, fertile valley and think, what other moments in my life will come and go, and be forgotten so easily, if I’m not paying close attention?


I look to my husband as he pushes a wheelbarrow through the rows of enormous orange pumpkins, smiling and calling to our three children. His back is strong; his arms can hold a four-year-old and a thirty dollar gourd without fail. The sun catches sparks off his toffee-colored hair and I see the curve of his neck, warm and sweet, just as it was when he was a boy. I want to kiss it now as I did then. And I think, catch it now, like pixie dust, before it slips through your fingers.


I look at my two sons, one growing taller, all arms and legs as he strides off toward his teen years, one still darting around our knees, the constant barer of lizards and toads and creepy crawlies. They gallivant across a green lawn to climb an old stump. They balance on stones in a fast-running stream and are guaranteed to ruin their shoes in the cold water. Their wide eyes and giggles tell me they don’t care about mud or frozen toes. My daughter has grown from a fairy princess to a dreamy pre-teen, almost as tall as me, I notice. She keeps up with the boys, but also steps away from them now. I catch her sitting by the stream, her face turned up to the sunlight, her gaze so far away I know I can never follow. And
I think, oh God, go where I can not. And don’t let me forget. Remind me to look into their faces when they tell me their dreams or their corny jokes, and bind them to my heart.

The sun slips lower and the shadows lengthen. We’ve filled our bellies with warm fruit pastries and popcorn and cider. Our trunk is packed with the glory of the season, glowing orange and green and soft yellow; colors of summer’s bounty, of life, reminders that we are blessed. And as we bounce along the gravel path, heading home, I look back at the sleepy valley, bustling with people who’ve all come there for the same reason: pumpkins. And memories. And seeds that will bring those moments back to us in their fullness in another season, when we’ll need their autumn sweetness.

kimberly brock



Kimberly Brock is releasing her first book, The River Witch,  in May of 2012.

Comments

  1. Oh, how touching. What a beautiful post.

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  2. What beautiful imagery and sentiments, Kimberly. It brought tears to my eyes. Your writing is so moving, heartfelt and direct. Thanks for this. I can't wait to read River Witch.

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  3. Ah, girls! Thanks! And thanks for reading. I hope it wasn't sappy. Sometimes I think it's good to be reminded to slow down before the moment passes. XO

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  4. I adore writing that evokes emotion through the use rich imagery, and you totally brought me into your world. Beautiful post, Kimberly!

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  5. Oh my gosh, Beth! I'm so flattered. Come read with me any time. XO

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  6. I love your vivid imagery. I feel as if I am there with you at the pumpkin farm. And yes, treasure these times and hold them dear in your heart. They go by all too fast. It's a tremendous, busy time raising children. Then suddenly, the days are less hectic and there's less clutter and there's less noise. A new journey begins as they grow up and we grow older. But oh the days when they are young and you're making memories with them will last a lifetime and they will warm your heart for years.

    Fabulous first guest post.

    :-)

    (and yes, I'm a bit maudlin--graduating senior in 2012--seems like yesterday I put her on the bus to go to Kindergarten with me following it in my little red van and crying all the way to the school.)

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  7. Gorgeous post. I think I need to go have a good cry. I'd grab my babies and love on them, but the neighbor kids are here. Oh, heck. I'll just love on them, too!

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  8. Christine and Sally,
    Us Mamas have to stick together!! Hug those babies! And be a Memory Keeper for them. That's one of our biggest blessings, I think.

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  9. That is achingly beautiful, Kimberly. I love it! So well done.

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  10. A beautiful post. Reminded me of the special moments with my own three girls searching for that perfect pumpkin to carry home.

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  11. Thanks so much Lori and Susan! I guess now the secret's out -- I'm a softy! :)

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  12. Oh, Kimberly. You are such a gifted writer. The imagery and sensory detail is breathtaking; you transported me right there to that magical time. Thank you so much for sharing. I'm sure The River Witch will not disappoint, as you have already consistently demonstrated this kind of remarkable writing on all of your blog posts.

    Do the seeds in this post in any way symbolize the seeds on your business cards and your blog?

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  13. Thanks, Melissa, for your kind words. You're always so generous.

    Yes, actually, the seeds do have significance. By pure coincidence, seeds symbolize part of the story at the heart of the River Witch -- LITERALLY pumpkin seeds, at that! A dying mother saves the seeds from a giant pumpkin from her last autumn with her small daughter. Meant to teach the life lessons she won't be around to bestow, she leaves her daughter the seeds and simple directions for how to grow the mysterious giants, many seasons after she's gone.

    My main character is a woman who has experienced tragedy of her own and is looking for sanctuary when she's unexpectedly saddled with this strange girl and her desperate attempt to understand the mystery of her mother's last message. While they wait for the pumpkins to come to full fruit and reveal their hardest lesson, the two build a fragile trust, passing the summer on a rather mystical southern island, grappling with their griefs, hopes, and the ghosts that haunt the riverbank.

    If you'd like to read an excerpt of THE RIVER WITCH, you can find one on my blog under a post called SHE BEGAN TO SING TO ME. http://kimberlybrockblog.com/ I'll be adding more as it gets closer to the release date for the novel -- and of course, there's a website in the works!

    Glad you enjoyed the post! Nicole is a doll for asking me to do it, and BLESS THEIR HEARTS MOM will host me again as part of my blog tour for THE RIVER WITCH in May 2012!!

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  14. Wow, Kimberly. This makes me want to read your entire book EVEN MORE (can't wait for the website). I love the tie-in to the seeds on this blog post and to your novel's theme. It sounds so literary and lovely.

    Thank you, Nicole, for hosting such a wonderful writer.

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  15. So truly beautiful and tenderly written, dear.

    There is something in this season, isn't there, that makes us want to, NEED to, reflect? To stop and assess? Maybe it's the new school year, in having to confront another set of seasons in motion--and our place in the cycle.

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  16. Wow, I feel so much gratitude for the support of other writers. Such cherished friends. XXOO

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  17. This brought tears to my eyes.... you captured all the feelings I had when my kids were little, and still have now that they're in college and beyond.

    "Remind me to look into their faces when they tell me their dreams or their corny jokes, and bind them to my heart." > EXACTLY! The very heart of life.

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  18. Aw, I'm so glad it touched it, Julia. I'm guilty of forgetting too often to stop and cherish the little moments when I'm IN THE MOMENT. They go by too fast to be too busy to notice. A sunny autumn afternoon reminded me how good life is right now. :)

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  19. Oh, I loved it as I always do. I even got teary eyed, and you know well that I am not a softy very often. xx

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  20. Ha! I made the Grinch cry! I'm so proud. ;)

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  21. @kimberlybrockblog.com

    Kimberly,

    You really struck a nerve with all the readers! Congrats and thanks for such a LOVELY post!

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