Ten Things I Love About Fall

“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting, and autumn a mosaic of them all.” Stanley Horowitz

Just a touch of sadness floats through the air with the falling leaves; bittersweet sentiments of endings and new beginnings. We embrace the chill with hot drinks and sweaters and find contentment in the anticipation of the new season. Slowly making the transition from outdoors to indoors, we scout out alternative ways to enjoy life.

Fall is my favorite time of year.

I think fall is a favorite for many people; not much can compare with its beauty. Sometimes those autumn hues are tinged with sadness. My mom will tell you she was always blue in the fall as she sent her little girls off to school. As an empty nester, I find the melancholy mood sweeping in a little more often than I did during the homeschooling days. I came up with ten things I love about this season to help combat those disruptive emotions.

1. Autumn is a new start I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, but I do make changes in the fall. The day after Labor Day has always been an opportunity for me to improve just about every aspect of my life. Everything tends to go haywire in the summer, so I make positive changes for my physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional well-being. It’s similar to those New Year’s resolutions, but in the fall the changes seem to stick a little better and longer.

2. Autumn covers my skin I don’t know about you, but by mid-summer I am tired of shaving my legs and keeping my toes pretty. I do not have lovely youthful skin, so I love being able to cover up the old-lady skin with cute boots and sweaters.

3. Christmas It’s coming! I used to wait until October 1st to bring on the Christmas music, but now I start the jingle bells on the day after Labor Day. It’s just too easy now that it’s right there on my phone. (Gone are the days of digging through CDs). I’m also thankful Hobby Lobby is ridiculous about Christmas. I love to go in there this time of year and stock up on anything I might be able to use for gift wrapping. A lot of their fall decorations can actually be used for both fall and Christmas. A cute antler on the mantle will make a nifty package topper for a hunter’s Christmas package.

4. I can take my morning walk without sweating Instead of getting up at 5:00am to beat the heat, I can walk anytime of the day. Grasshoppers, bees, and mosquitos have mostly been eradicated this time of year, making for a much more peaceful time in the great outdoors.

5. It’s easier to cook Salad. Grill. Salad. Grill. The summer menu can be awfully bleak. Turn that oven back on, pull out the crockpot, and smell the house up with a yummy dinner. Soups, stews, casseroles, it’s all so good. The options seem limitless. (Not to mention all the fun baking this time of year).

6. Windows open The temperature of our home has been a battle since the day we were married. My husband’s love affair with the air conditioner forces me dress warmer during the summer than in the winter. So, I love this blessed time of year when the air is turned off and the windows are open 24/7. In Minnesota, there is a short time frame in the spring and in the fall when windows don’t need to be shut at night or in the morning. As the days move toward winter, I like to see how long I can go without turning the furnace on. I almost made it to Thanksgiving one year.

7. Fire Real. Gas. Candle. Bon. I love it all. There is nothing better than the smell of fire, inside or outside. Even the smell can warm you up. I love a solitary candle on an early, dark morning, along with the flip of a switch to get the fireplace roaring. And of course, the traditional fall bonfire. It’s on every Pinterest fall bucket list. S’mores, hot dogs, and grandpa’s silly stories.

8. Routine Maybe it’s crazy, but summer puts pressure on me to relax. Every year it ends in the blink of an eye, and even though my lack of accomplishment appears to reflect a relaxed attitude, I don’t feel refreshed. I spend a lot of time in the summer trying to relax, when in reality, I tend to relax in routine. Finding routine with my boys out of the house has been challenging, to say the least. Time management with strange pockets of unused time has been tricky. But in the fall, I can fill those pockets easier without feeling like I should be sitting on the swing with fresh squeezed lemonade. It’s easier to relax when it just happens.

9. Beauty A must on anyone’s list. Of course, the colors are phenomenal. Complaints about living in Minnesota are often justified, but every fall, I remember why I love living here. Living in a state that does not have extreme changes in the seasons would be boring. There isn’t always a lot of time to delight in the spring or the fall, but that’s why we take advantage of every moment that we do have.

10. Pumpkin or Apple? The things you can do with these two fruits. (I had to google and make sure pumpkin is indeed a fruit). I love pumpkin bars and apple crisp, but it just seems wrong to make them any other time of year. Hot drinks, pies, candles, breads, donuts, patches, and orchards. On top of the picking, baking, and eating, they are both great for decorating. Seriously, when was the last time you put a watermelon or a banana on your mantel or front step?