The Loveliness of My Favorite Season

It's time once again for another Loveliness Fair.  This one is called The Loveliness of Autumn.  It's being hosted by Michele Q.  There are probably an unlimited number of topics that I could write about for this fair, so it's hard for me to know how to begin and end.  It's not like writing about my bedroom, where there is only so much that I can say.  So I'll begin with autumn in general.

Autumn was my favorite season when I was a child because my birthday falls in the fall.  November 2nd to be exact. Then, in the sun worshipping days of my early twenties, summer became my favorite season.  Well, being pregnant and/or nursing for the past 8 1/2 years has put an end to that.  Hopefully my skin is healthier for it, and autumn is again my favorite time of year.

What's so lovely about the fall?  First of all, the humidity goes away.  When I go outside, I just feel better.  Then the mosquitos go away.  I can sit outside at night.

Then there are all the memories.  Bobby and I met in the fall.  We got to know each other better while playing croquet in thick green grass covered with fallen leaves.... by talking by the glow of candles inside carved pumpkins.... by snuggling in the dark, on the hard picnic table in my backyard, wearing our unplanned matching green winter coats and brown boots.  OK, I'll come back to the present now.

Then there are the beautiful sights all around.  A blue sky looks more spectacular against colorful autumn foliage.  When I thought about what to post for this fair, my first idea was to go to the Mohawk Trail or maybe the Berkshires with the kids, and take pictures of them amongst the foliage.  Then I realized that it's too early.  Columbus Day weekend is usually the peak for fall color around here, but some years it's even the third week of October.  So let's pretend I went leaf peeping and took this picture.

Doesn't it take your breath away?

So my second idea is to talk about what we've done and what I plan to do this fall.  Here are some things I did around my house to get ready for fall. 

One of our autumn traditions is to go apple picking, and to a small nearby farm to look at the animals and eat ICE CREAM!  We did it again this year, but it was actually on one of the last few days of summer.  Following that trip, we made apple crisp, 2 apple pies, apple pancakes twice, apple chicken, apple muffins and nobby apple cake.  We still have many apples left so my plans are: applesauce, apple sour cream cake, apple cookies and more of the same.

This week I bought some pumpkins and mums.  We've rearranged them once already since that picture.  The weather that day was beautiful.  I decided to do some watercolor nature still life with my children.  We painted pictures of the pumpkins and mums to send to Dawn for her Early Autumn Field Day.  Then, I went inside the house to take care of Sweet Pea.  The kids followed me in.  I got busy and the sprinklers came on and you can imagine what happened to the pictures.

So, what other seasonal things will we do this fall?  I asked my children to brainstorm with me.  Here are some of our ideas:

• go on a leaf hunt
• rake leaves and transport them in a truck Worker made
• play in piles of leaves
• iron wax paper filled with leaves and crayon shavings
• make gratitude leaves
• go on a hayride
• run through a corn maze
• buy/make Halloween costumes
• make scarecrows (my sister may have a party for this)
• go to my Mom's Halloween party
• carve pumpkins
• take nature walks
• drink apple cider
• enjoy autumn read-alouds
• leaf peep (i.e. take a drive admiring the foliage)
• celebrate special days in the fall
• finish rotating everyone's clothes
• bring out the winter coats, hats, gloves, etc.
• fall clean the entire house (just kidding!)

I look forward to reading what everyone else has to say about my favorite season.  I told you I'd have a hard time ending this post.  Happy Fall!!!  Have a lovely autumn!!!  Bye now!!!