Fabulous Fall

(Marquette, MI)

The coming of fall stirs in me the desire for sensory fulfillment. There is so much anticipation in my soul for what delights lay just around the corner. While days here have still been hot, the midwest girl in me longs for the smell of cold earth, fallen leaves and the spiciness of baked goods; the sound of crunching leaves under my feet as summer's flourish lies scattered across every sidewalk, street, and wood; children laughing and leaping into piles of leaves; the sight of every tree lit aflame by brilliant reds, oranges and yellows, and pumpkins adorning every doorstep; the brisk chill of eminent change in the air cajoling me into sweaters, scarves and hats, and the warmth from a first lit fire of the season warming my home and my heart; and lastly the tastes of harvest's bounty fused with the sweet spices of the season, savory squashes, sweet-tart apples and warming soups and stews that lure me into the kitchen begging me to create.

I love our home here in Colorado. We will soon begin to spend more evenings with friends as holiday parties commence and I've noticed the subtle way the light playing off the mountains changes with the passing seasons.

Yet, autumn makes me long for home in ways that I do not the rest of the year. My heart pines for family, outings to cider mills, sugar from donuts lingering on your lips long after being finished, picking apples right off the tree and savoring that first bite of the season as the sweet juice runs down your fingers, and the lush canopy of trees over the streets that cocoon you into a tunnel of flames.

Most of all, fall provokes in me the sense of family, community, sharing and love like no other time of the season. There is a sense of coming together to relish in the sensory sensation autumn offers. May you delight in your own traditions and natural beauty of your surroundings, whatever they be. Happy Fall!