Repost from September 2015
I DO love New York in the fall. I’ve never experienced autumn in New York but I have enjoyed it in summer and I have been enchanted by it in winter so given the fact that fall is my favorite time of year I am sure that it would be exactly as I imagine and what I’m imagining – I love. It’s like Camelot. The winter is forbidden till December and exits March the second on the dot. By order, summer lingers through September. In Camelot. The rain may never fall till after sundown. By eight, the morning fog must disappear. In short, there’s simply not a more congenial spot for happily-ever-aftering than there in Camelot.
Last weekend I was in Vancouver as fall began to unveil its lovely face. We sauntered through Stanley Park (a wannabe Central Park) and I collected fallen maple leaves (since maples don’t grow here in Alberta). I also stumbled upon a broken branch from an oak tree which I dragged through the park and loaded in my brothers rented van to use as the centerpiece for our Thanksgiving dinner – it still had acorns on it and rich fall colored leaves. My heart leapt for joy when I received the fall cups from Starbucks with the Warmly Fall sleeve wrapped around it. There is a reason why the Pumpkin Spice Latte is so popular – its a sentimental thing. I remember kicking through the crisp fallen leaves as I walked to school as a child. I loved the crunch of them underfoot. I loved the smell of the crisp air. There is something about donning a comfy cozy stylish sweater for the first time since last winter. Something about holding a hot beverage to your lips and taking in the warm aroma. Even though it’s still warm enough to wear summer clothes I have dragged all the items I could get away with for fall to the forefront. The boots, the sweaters, the scarves, the vests…..I love cool weather dressing, it’s so much more…. forgiving. Love sitting around a crackling fire outdoors or in. Try to remember the kind of September when life was slow and oh, so mellow. Try to remember the kind of September when grass was green and grain was yellow. Try to remember and if you remember then follow. Try to remember when life was so tender that no one wept except the willow. Try to remember when life was so tender that dreams were kept beside your pillow. Try to remember when life was so tender that love was an ember about to billow Try to remember and if you remember then follow.
I’m so over summer! It has its charms to be sure but I love that we have seasons. September marks a time of new beginnings much more so than does January. First of all I have much more energy and motivation in the fall. As a mom, it always marked the season of kids going back to school and therefore freeing up much more time for me to accomplish whatever. It felt like a new start and it still does. Two weekends ago we dropped both of our adult children off in Vancouver for at least a season and I am feeling very fancy free and happy go lightly. I’m looking forward to evenings by the fireside reading and sewing with cinnamon pumpkin spice candles burning in the background and Bennett and Gaga (or Frank and Ella) filling the room with soothing music. I have this urge to go to the Farmers Market and bring home my spoils to make soups and chili’s and salsa and such. Apple pies…oh how I used to love to fill the freezer with apples pies for the winter. I may do so again this autumn. I may make salsa as well. I’m going to set aside my Friday’s for quilting and my evening’s for studying and reading and blogging (watch for it). I’ve got projects lined up til Christmas and it’s not overwhelming me, it’s exciting me. I’m going to try my hand at French cooking – first up – beef bourguignon. Oh yes – mustn’t forget – I have to finish last Christmases puzzle. Which was New York at Christmas…we’ve come full circle folks. Last December Mom, Lexie and I went to New York in December. Magical. Deep in December it’s nice to remember although you know the snow will follow. Deep in December it’s nice to remember without the hurt the heart is hollow. Deep in December it’s nice to remember the fire of September that made us mellow. Deep in December our hearts should remember and follow.
Mike and I are toying with the idea of joining the kids in Vancouver for Thanksgiving (at my brothers). I truly think I will revisit Stanley Park and Granville Island. Thanksgiving is the precursor to Christmas for me. Well I guess it is in the states too but their Thanksgiving is about 6 weeks later. Too bad for them. I desperately want to play the Home Alone Christmas album but I’m saving it until after thanksgiving. Not going to be easy but when I break it out, it’s going to be so worth it. In the meantime, I will quilt and bake and sew and cook and blog and read by the fire and wear cozy sweaters and hang at Starbucks and drive to work in the dark and watch ‘You’ve Got Mail’ a bazillion times.
The Red Plaid Apron 