September is the hazy purple bridge between seasons. We are still experiencing the bounty of the harvest season with plump grapes and heavy clusters of elderberries (which are particularly wonderful when transformed into a gorgeous purple tart!) but are starting to feel a growing sense of urgency to prepare ourselves for the cold seasons ahead both physically and emotionally. Now is a great time to gather around a pot of something warm and cozy, like these special baked beans, or a hearty shepherdess pie made with the goodness of sun chokes and venison and cloaked in a beautiful purple topping of sweet potatoes. It’s a time to consider what we treasure and what we seek, from the relationships that nourish us to the projects that bring us purpose. What have you been harvesting in your life this month? What are you saving up for winter nights? What (or whom) do you count as your own personal treasures?

If you are one of my wonderful Patrons, head on over to your membership area to find a high-quality digital download of September's beautiful mandala for your personal use! If you're not familiar with this program, it's a way for generous like-minded people to support my efforts to share wonder with all of you, for free. I believe in generosity and am so grateful that others do too, otherwise I wouldn't be able to share all of this goodness with you! If you'd like to sign up, you can simply choose an amount to contribute every month and get some lovely goodies (like the mandala download) as thanks for your contribution. 

If you'd like to get this beautiful mandala in another form, please take a look at my Society6 Shoppe! There you can get this lovely design in everything from wall prints to clocks to tote bags to pillows. I get a percentage of the profits to help fund running this blog. Good stuff all around! And doesn't this design look lovely as a fun wall clock?

Finally, whether you're a patron or not, I want to thank you for your support this month! Every sweet comment, interesting question, or share on social media means so much to me. I *especially* love it when you try out my recipes and let me know what you think of them! I feel so honored to be part of such a creative, generous, adventuresome, and magic-filled community. I appreciate each and every one of you.