The last few months have been a total blur. I have been so busy with work and school and trying to deal with mental health stuff and hopeless days turned into to anxiety-filled weeks until one day I noticed that the air smelled differently and Halloween costume shops had popped up and the leaves had already fallen from their trees, and then this morning it snowed and I realized the start of fall had passed. Seasons change so quickly in the prairies, especially when you're not able to take the time to notice and appreciate them.
This past weekend was Thanksgiving for us Canadians, and at the insistence of my parents I made an impromptu trip home to Edmonton. I wasn't expecting to have much fun, but I actually had a great time. It was so nice to visit with my friends and family, and Thanksgiving is one of the most delicious holidays. Pumpkin pie is my all time favourite, and I got to be part of two Thanksgiving dinners. I still hold Edmonton and its inhabitants close to my heart, and it has much better restaurants and shops (sorry Regina), so it was nice to roam the neighborhoods we frequented in high school. I also still have a lot of junk at my parent's place, and it is so fun to snoop through my desk drawers and find a photograph or a necklace I'd completely forgotten about.
These pictures were taken at the Muttart Conservatory while I was in Edmonton. Their feature pyramid isn't always the most impressive (do pumpkins really compare to plants from every corner of the earth and warm, humid environments in the middle of cold weather?), but it was full of chrysanthemums, squashes, and kitschy autumn decorations and it was really excellent.
While we're talking about mental health things, I should tell you that I've recently fallen in adoration with
Maranda Elizabeth and their writings on mental health (and, well, everything else). An anthology of their zine Telegram is now
available for pre-order on Etsy. It ships on Halloween and I'm really excited to get my hands on it.
