Autumn

I know I fall into a large crowd and it is a commonality to say that my two favorite seasons are spring and Autumn. But really, how can they not be? I do love summer as it warms up and you have those hot days, but a week of temperatures well into the 90s with 80+ humidity has me wishing for cooler, crisper days. And in the bleakness of winter, when the snow is not fresh on the ground...it is just cold, and the holidays are over, I long for the ground to sing out, and to plant and play in the dirt again. Perhaps it is the length of summer and winter that cause me not to favorite them. They are like family members who come, weighing in on your good favor and hospitality, and in the end, end up staying far beyond their welcome. As Ben Franklin said, "Guest and fish all begin to stink after three days." Also too, seasons, after 60 days have worn out their welcome. And to be honest...I think Ben was a little harsh on the relatives.

But the truly beautiful seasons, the ones that really leave you with the desire to be outside in their glory and enjoying the world...those are the ones that never overstay their welcome. And Autumn is one of them, he shyly slips in, tipping edges of leaves on tress that we might not even notice if we don't pay attention closely, are not looking for his coming. Then, all of a sudden we look up and there is a tree, in its glory, dressed in its best for the season before anyone else.

You know, everyone has seen that one tree, the one that turns before all the others, like the early arrival and over-dressed member of a party, but one by one all the others follow suit and it is a glory to marvel. And as soon as it happens, we begin. We begin this parade of fall sweaters, hoodies, scarves, barn jackets, little woolen caps and all the cute fall clothes come out from storage. We shake things out that have been packed away for the last 5 months and recall how much we like wearing them.

The fall decorations begin to make their way into the house, pumpkins on tables, candles in windows, wreaths on doors and apples in baskets in the kitchen. We think in scents rather than in seasons, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, heady warming spices that make us want to be part of hearth and home. Soup pots come out and get filled with warming stocks and stews that fill us with comfort.

The most wonderful thing about Autumn is that it is culminated in a final feast. What other season can say that? Just as we end out glorious season and begin the trek headfirst into winter and are blitzed with holiday after holiday, we end this comely little season with a feast that celebrates our family, our time together and how thankful we have all been for what we have had this past year. It is the Hallelujah Chorus to the end of the most visually stimulating seasons and we have our senses tingling as we end November on a crescendo of music, food, nature, and life.

And as if a tired old actor, in their final scene, the trees, who just a few weeks ago wore their glory like a red carpet array, now slowly draw up the darkness of a bed of dark brown leaves, nod their sleepy heads and tuck in for a long winters nap. We applaud their last efforts knowing they will be back again, and then....we wait.