Fall Reminiscing

I know, I know.  "Enjoy the summer, it will be over before you know it."  The Star household's reply to that is, "Good riddance"!

Why do we love the fall so much here?  It could be the cooler weather.  You see, we live in the part of Texas that actually experiences 4 distinguishable seasons.  It could be the return to felt Cowboy hats (as opposed to the Spring/Summer straw), handmade scarves, jean and Carhart jackets, and warm hoodies.  It could be all the fun holidays.  Maybe.

I think it all boils down to one thing: togetherness.  In the fall, we naturally slow down.  The nights are longer, so the time together seems, somehow, longer.  We are together as a family of three and together with our loved ones more in the fall.  We celebrate every day, every decrease in the thermometer, every new Halloween decoration, every Thanksgiving recipe.  We celebrate a lot in the fall, and we do it together.

For me personally, another perk of fall is the guaranteed return of MM's beard.  MM wears his beard well, and he's, well, just more "MM-y" with it.

A look at falls past give a good clue as to why fall is, well, "our" time of year:

Homegrown & homemade pumpkin puree for various fall delicacies!

The ultimate chicken roast with parsnips, potatoes, and homemade pan gravy.

Crowbar, Munky, & I Halloween weekend.  I hope they make it out this year; it's just not the same without them!

Downtown in our town, enjoying Gallery Night.

The beer floweth over.  MM and "that Forest Service guy".

 

My MM illuminated by the glow of the fire with a glass of white wine..  Yum.  My favorite fall treats.

My fall wardrobe...layers, layers, layers!  Hoodies under baggy jean jackets are the way to go.

Our fire ring.  We spend many a fall night out here.  I can't wait until Bunny's old enough to (safely) join us. 

The Autumnal Equinox is Saturday, September 22 this year.  Well phooey on that.  According to the "Star Calendar", Autumn starts on September 1 each and every year.  The food gets heartier, the baked goods are full of pumpkin and spices, and everyone around here has a pep in their step that just isn't present in the dog days of summer.

The only problem with Autumn is that it only last 3 months out here.  After that, the biting cold of winter sets in along with the threat (or promise, depending on your philosophical bent) of snow and ice.  Maybe that's why we love it so; it's here for such a short time and then it's gone for another year.  I'm already planning our fall "bucket list".  It'll probably be annoyingly long and cliche and impossible to accomplish, but just the thought of s'mores by the fire, family around the Thanksgiving table, and turkey hand-print crafts with Bunny sets my heart aflutter.  Ah, Autumn, how we love thee!