The beginning
of fall has to be my favorite time of the year, with Thanksgiving running a
close second, and Christmas is third. The official start of fall, the autumnal
equinox - when mornings are a bit cooler, daylight hours are a little shorter,
and evenings definitely grow dark faster.
But here in South Central Texas, the fall skies are magnificent – like a
skein of variegated yarn. The setting
sun flings her colors across the sky and the resulting palette is one of magnificent
pinks and blues and purples and oranges.
I have
professed a fondness for fall for many years.
Growing up on the East Coast (PA), I loved the autumnal activities that
were prevalent each September, October and November. Fondly I remember the hayrides, the huge
pumpkin patches where you would select your pumpkins, not go to a grocery store
and buy one from a large box as I do now.
Haystacks in the farmer’s fields were man-made with pitchforks, not
baled in barrels by machine. Corn mazes,
hot apple cider, hayrides, Halloween, trick or treating, pumpkin pie, the “harvest”
- all connote happy memories of past falls.
I’ve been
waiting all summer for the stores to display their fall ware so that I could
start to search for just the right items for my home decorations. I’m not a decorator, by any means, but the
colors of fall do lend themselves to be easily mixed and matched. And there are so many different hues of
pumpkins now – deep oranges, greens, yellows, blues, even white. The possibilities are endless when setting a
dining room table or decorating a front porch.
And of course,
there is my “fall” tree. It would not be
fall without my decorated tree in the foyer where it glows with its gold
lights, garlanded in leaves, draped in crystal ornaments, sparkly acorns, and colored balls in
celery, copper and gold hues. Just
seeing the tree at night with the glowing lights makes me feel warm and
cozy. My fall tree has become a
tradition and one that my friends request.
This year I
found a little wooden wheelbarrow which I used on the front porch and added that
to the ever-growing collection of fall décor.
Of course, there are some items that are not re-used. These are donated to an assisted living
facility where the residents can enjoy the items and use them as they choose.
Mornings are crisp,
just like the bite of a Macintosh apple.
Afternoons are warm, yet the evenings are beginning to cool down and it
is a great time to sit on the porch swing or take an evening stroll.
Because the
fall season lasts for several months, I look forward to all the craft fairs,
church bazaars, country peddler shows which sell fall items. The neighbor’s children knock on the door and
ask us to purchase pies for their class project. Other friend’s grandchildren ask us to
purchase candy. Traditions.
I think that is
what fall means the most to me – traditions.
Time and time again, as the calendar rolls around to the first day of
fall, I think back to all the fall memories that I have. Oh, I can’t forget the football games with my
Dad, my high school marching band cavalcades, ginger snap cookies, and pumpkins. Did I mention pumpkins? And
then I will anticipate my second favorite time of the year, Thanksgiving. After all, it is part of fall.
