Not quite a native Ripley Countian - she attended only her last year of high school in Doniphan though she taught in the R-1 system for 32 years - Teresa (Pearson) Lee delights in surprising readers and herself with anecdotal observations of life in general. Maybe you can blame her St.Louis roots for a quirky humor and some slightly-askewed opinions, but never doubt she writes from the heart.

October Triggers

Posted Wednesday, October 4, 2023, at 7:39 PM

Displaying one of my creations just as I did as a kid

October is such a treat for the senses, and our senses are strong nostalgia triggers. I’m reminiscing as the memories pop up.

*My sister was born this month. I didn’t know what to expect, but when I saw her the first time, it wasn’t THAT, so I ran on to play with my friends up the block. It wasn’t long before she was cute and cuddly, though.

*Veiled Prophet Parades were magical, except the one when dad couldn’t remember where he parked the car - in Forest Park - and I was wearing new shoes. He called the upstairs neighbor from a pay phone. That guy left his own birthday dinner to help us find it.

*Raking leaves meant dad was around. As young kids, we didn’t help much, but we had fun jumping in the piles, pressing the prettiest ones between waxed paper sheets and watching the fires by the curb.

*Knee socks were dug out of drawers, becoming an appreciated addition to attire on walks to school.

*Candy corn appeared at the corner store. It’s loved or hated. I love it.

*Music classes in elementary school livened up. The teachers always taught us fun melodies to use for trick-or-treating.

*The smells in the lunchroom changed. Kids started bringing soups in thermoses.

*Spontaneous road trips are extra special when the trees are changing.

*Mealtimes started including more stuff from the oven, more chili and grilled cheese, more hot chocolate and more pumpkin pie.

*The neighborhood gang started planning and building the haunted house in our garage by the alley. It was spooky anyway, so it wasn’t hard to take the fright factor up a notch.

*Drawing/cutting/pasting anything Halloween started early in October. We taped our masterpieces everywhere, even in the front windows so neighbors could enjoy them, too.

*Bonfires and fellowship, hobo stews and camping tunes kept us connected to each other and the great outdoors.

“October, baptize me with leaves! Swaddle me in corduroy and nurse me with split-pea soup...[no thank you, tomato please]. October, tuck tiny candy bars in my pockets and carve my smile into a thousand pumpkins. O autumn! O teakettle! O grace!” (Rainbow Rowell)