Happiness is a Great Pumpkin

I don’t know exactly what it is about them, but pumpkins make me happy. Perhaps it is that way they stand out like glowing orange beacons against the fading autumn landscape. Perhaps it is the way in which they are round, and full, and imbued with the abundant qualities of the season. Perhaps it is the artistic medium they become when one applies some carving tools, chisels and a candle. Or maybe it’s the pies and toasty, roasted seeds. Whatever it may be, I know that I am not alone in my feelings about pumpkins based on the huge smiles on the faces of my children and every other person we saw at the pumpkin patch last weekend. Pumpkins = Happiness.

I went with my children and our friends to Lone Pine Farms last Saturday to pick out some perfect specimens for jack-o-lantern fun. This took awhile, as it turned out there were many to choose from.

My son strode off determinedly to find the weirdest, wartiest pumpkin he could find.

It did not take him long to meet success in his quest.

My daughter took a little slower approach, wandering around eyeing many different shapes and sizes of pumpkin before carefully selecting just the right one.

I found my fairy house pumpkin rather quickly based on the very odd shape and interesting stem (more on that in a future post) and then spent some time admiring the beautiful calico corn at the edge of the pumpkin patch. The kernels reminded me of rows of little jewels.

And finally, after much serious inspection and contemplative thought, our friend Logan found herself the most perfect pumpkin she could imagine. It had just the right hefty stem, she could sit on it, and she could just barely lift it in her arms. As she sat there looking like the cat that caught the canary, I was reminded again that when it comes down to it, the secret to happiness in life is really all very simple.

Happiness is a great pumpkin.