Fall Is In The Air

Fall is in the air.  The smell of damp leaves.  Pumpkin harvest is in full swing.  The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting cooler, and soups and stews are on the menu.  Fall is my favorite time of year.

Fall is the lead-in to our holiday season.  What's not to love about fall?  Some, (most of the people I know) think of fall as the end of the year.  A time of dieing.  The gardens are finishing up, tomato vines are brown, the potatoes and onions are being dug up, and the leaves are turning brilliant reds, golds and browns.  Mums are in full bloom.  Crops are being harvested, and once the work is done, we tend to settle in for a "bleak", long winter.  I must be wired backwards.  I love fall and winter. 

For me, fall and winter are a time of renewal.  We get renewed by the vegetables and crops from the harvest.  We renew our relationships with family and friends at Thanksgiving.  We renew our faith at Christmas time.  We rest, and the soil rests', just waiting to spring fourth at the end of winter.
In the fall we think of fall crafts, buying or making gifts for Christmas, and making our homes a warm welcoming place to be.  We get out the warm apple cinnamon scented candles.  We wear our favorite thick sweaters and spend our Saturdays at the nearby apple orchard.  We plan fall gatherings, bon fires and soup suppers.  Friends and family gather round for pumpkin carving, and trick or treating.  Hay rides and scary stores are the order of the day.  As the moon rises, we look over our shoulders to see if we can spy a witch riding high in the sky.  Fall brings out the kid in us all.

This fall, when that depressing feeling of dread creeps up on you, remember that fall isn't a time of doom and gloom.  It's a time of renewal.  Get energized!  Think of all the fun the fall brings.  It's the kick off to the biggest and best parties of the year.  The holiday's line up, one after another from September through April.  What a great time of year.  Get out and enjoy it.