"That old September feeling...of summer passing, vacation nearly done,
obligations gathering, books and football in the air.
Another fall, another turned page: there was something
of jubilee in that annual autumnal beginning
as if last year's mistakes and failures
had been wiped clean by summer."
Wallace Stegner, Angle of Repose
I love fall! I love the brazen colors that force you to notice their beauty. I love the sun sliding through the leaves and changing the colors as the rays stretch to the ground. I love the coolness in the air, telling you to grab a sweater as you prepare to leave your house. I love the crunch of fallen leaves under your feet. I love windows open allowing the sounds and smells of such a glorious season to waft through the screens. Curtains, lift and fall, with the cadence of the wind. I love shopping for school clothes and the smell of school supplies that have yet to be sullied by lessons of the day. I love seeing the fuzzy caterpillars scootch across nature's path, silently warning us of a cold winter ahead. I love acorns on the ground. I love the sweet bite of the fall's first apple, it's clear juice running down my chin. I love the anticipation of holidays looming ahead; their arrival bringing undaunted jubilation to family and friends. I love the various shades and sizes of pumpkins and squash decorating road sides, front porches and store entrances. I love the return of football and field hockey. I love the fullness of comfort foods and hearty stews. I love soft corduroys and tall, leather boots. I love layers. I love the smell of outdoors and sweat covering children as they bound into the house after a day of discovery and neighborhood adventure. I love that knowing soon I will hear, see and smell the season's first fire. I love that my daughter and I share a fall birthday. I love to hear children begin chattering about Halloween costumes in great detail. I love the million and one ways to flavor anything with pumpkin. I love seeing the collegiate tshirts color a tailgate gathering like the leaves on the trees. I love watching the steam of my coffee rise and disappear into the chilliness of a morning still removing her night fog covers. I love seeing candy corn adorn cupcakes, snacks, mason jars and goodie bags. I love caramel apples. Actually, I love caramel anything. I love seeing magazine covers that trick me into believing I can transform my house into an autumn sanctuary. And I Iove that every year, I try and quickly realize I cannot and laugh at my sincere attempts. I love apple butter and apple cider and apple pie with a scoop of real vanilla ice cream. I love that there are not enough words to describe my adoration of this season. And I love that each September, my love affair with Indian Summer grows deeper. Ah, fall - you are the joy in my seasonal heart and I thank you for unselfishly sharing your beauty with us.
