Leaves and Thrift

"How silently they tumble down
And come to rest upon the ground
To lay a carpet, rich and rare,
Beneath the trees without a care,
Content to sleep, their work well done,
Colors gleaming in the sun.

At other times, they wildly fly
Until they nearly reach the sky.
Twisting, turning through the air
Till all the trees stand stark and bare.
Exhausted, drop to earth below
To wait, like children, for the snow."
- Elsie N. Brady, Leaves

We had a killing frost last night.  Looking up into the woods today, you will see showers of leaves with each little breeze.  I sat enjoying my morning coffee watching them blanket the ground.  I was warm tucked in the house which had a fire going last night.  I threw one log on it this morning and it has now warmed significantly to no longer warrant it's heat. 

The man worked today and #2 daughter and I have been in the kitchen since shortly after he left.  My German thriftiness finds me listening to that nostrum "Waste not, want not"  See these little babies - oh so sweet and delicious....

Well they have friends, lots of them that appeared on my doorstep....

So far we have each consumed a couple, made seven pints of amaretto pears

and sliced up 8 trays that are now dehydrating.  There are still lots more which will shortly become pear butter and maybe a pear cake. 

Although I would love to be spinning or knitting the fact that these were sitting there going bad would eat away at me.  I would be unable to enjoy myself.  I can still hear my mother telling me "don't look a gift horse in the mouth" and also about all the starving children in Africa.   Why did my mother never tell me to be more like the grasshopper and less like the ant?  I guess because soon the snow will fly and we will be enjoying the ant's larder and not freezing my butt off like the grasshopper.  I guess Mother did know best.