Once upon a time in October, we noticed texture and color. Everywhere. We studied the faded sheen of falling leaves, the hues from yellow to burnt orange and dusty red... the different shapes of their edges. We began to observe the tiny details of pears, that slight blush on the Bartlett, and the roughness on the D'anjou, signaling they were perfectly ready for a first bite. And we relaxed into the cozy comfort of a favorite sweater we hadn't seen since last fall—still just as reassuring beneath our fingertips. At night, we snuggled up beneath the weight of an ancient quilt.

Once upon a time in October, we took life a little slower. We neglected our morning news feeds and read poetry in the afternoon. We tried our hand at the forgotten art of letter writing. We cooked slow meals with fresh ingredients, taking our time with each detail—the flavor-filled mysteries of mushrooms, the grassy goodness of olive oil, and the aromatics of rosemary. We laughed out loud. And sometimes we even went stargazing.

Once upon a time, this October, our Natural Grocers family will do what we do every season of the year. We'll bring you 100 percent organic produce, pasture based dairy, free-range eggs, and humanely raised and sustainably sourced meat and seafood. We'll stock household and body care products that are conscious of your health and the planet's. We'll empower our communities with science based nutrition education, from our vitamins and supplements aisles to our outreach events to this Health Hotline magazine. And while we may not be accomplishing these things at the languid pace of our "once upon a time in October" imaginings, we will be doing them for the sake of family—ours and yours.

We hope October brings you your favorite version of "once upon a time,” or at least plentiful moments to enjoy the autumn beauty, delicious, nutritious food, and time with the folks you call family.

Happy Fall, neighbors!

The Isely Family