Thanks for reading the September issue of This Awful Awesome Life. We’re excited to be back with the October 2021 issue.

The change of seasons makes us all aware of our own mortality, but that can be a blessing if we let it.

It’s a time to look forward and embrace change just as the trees embrace shedding their leaves to get ready for the winter. Lilly Kauffman reminds us to cherish the passage of time.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to our wonderful neighbors to the North!

Our soup for October 2021 in “The Twelve Months of Soup,” is Slow Cooker Black Bean Chili paired with Pomegranate and Wild Rice Salad. It’s perfect for the cooler weather and so easy!

Linda Cahill has delicious recipes courtesy of Pampered Chef to celebrate Apple Month and Pizza Month.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As a breast cancer survivor this month has special significance because it is also the month I was diagnosed. Where are we in the fight and what can we do to reduce our risks of developing breast cancer or preventing a recurrence?

Did you know October 16 is World Food Day? It’s time to get serious about food production and distribution, eating sustainably, and limiting food waste. We can end food poverty and world hunger if we work together.

We’re celebrating Halloween with our first ever word search October Quiz and I share interesting historical background for Halloween and the Mexican festival Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead. Plus, we’re streaming the best of Halloween from the lists of Halloween favorites.

Don’t miss Orlando Bartro’s look at the works of Anthony Trollope, my review of The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles, and our October reading recommendations for adults and kids for Halloween and Hispanic Heritage Month. JoAnn Cantrell is still looking for photos and information about orphans and orphanages in Pittsburgh and be sure to check out our Author Page for your next great read.

Samantha Sayers has been missing since she disappeared on August 1, 2018, after a day of solo hiking at Vesper Peak near Seattle, Washington. Sam grew up in the Erie, Pennsylvania area where her parents Ron and Lisa still live. Her family is exploring all avenues of inquiry to find and bring her home. In the face of such an enormous challenge, they have chosen hope. Please keep sending positive thoughts to Sam and her family. As promised, we will be displaying a yellow ribbon for Sam on the opening page of each issue of This Awful Awesome Life until she is home.

If you are a person of faith, please pray for her safe return to her family. Because we are an online publication, we can update this article with any news. We will also post information on our Facebook page. Thank you!

Please share our link, thisawfulawesomelife.com with your friends and family.

Be sure to subscribe to our free mailing list and each new issue of This Awful Awesome Life will be delivered directly to your inbox with a personal note from me. We fixed the glitches we were having on our mailing list, so you will receive the link for the new issue the same day it publishes. We won’t share your name or email address. Like us on Facebook for the latest from This Awful Awesome Life!

Happy Reading,

Fran