Autumn Meme

This is the little autumn village we display every year. This year it's on the shelf in the kitchen under the bulletin board, high up enough that Yuyum (William) can't get ahold of it. Well, at least he hasn't so far... Note the five little pumpkins on the fence. Do you know that poem? I'll copy that one out here somewhere, as it's a family favorite.

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Dawn, over at By Sun and Candlelight , has created a lovely Fall meme.

So many of us love this season! It's a pleasure to fill this one out.

When does fall begin for you? We make a game out of trying to be the first one to spot autumn leaves, so that sighting may be the official start for me, but we start thinking about it, probably the first day of school, right after Labor Day.

What is your favorite aspect of fall? I love the color. I love the crisp, woodsy air. I love to decorate the house in all the wonderful, rich autumn colors.

What is your favorite fall memory? Gosh, I have a whole collection of favorite autumn leaf drives we've taken over the years! But, my funniest memory is of a beautiful fall afternoon in Virginia, when I was about twelve years old and my brother was about ten. We were on our way back from a jaunt to the library. My dear brother, Greg, was so full of happiness and the spirit of the fall season that he couldn't help but kick joyously through the deep piles of leaves on the tree-canopied sidewalks. What a happy day! What fun to see the leaves take flight in all their color as he scooped them up to the skies with his brand new brown suede shoes. Until....

Something else lay hidden beneath the leaves.. Something not so nice. And he scooped that up with his new shoe, and it flew through the air, too... Yes, you guessed it. Dog poop. Aghghgh!!! The day was ruined for poor Greg. His new suede school shoes! He was so depressed, poor boy! I have to admit, though, I laughed myself silly. I still laugh when I think about it. I guess I have a sick sense of humor...

What do you like to drink in the fall? Chocolate in any form, especially in mocha form. But, hot apple cider, with a cinnamon stick in my cup really spells fall!

What's your favorite fall food? Fall is when the crockpot comes back out. The smell of a savory roast that's been simmering all Saturday night for Sunday dinner... Also, soup of any variety, as I am the daughter of the Soup Queen of the Universe.

OH, AND PUMPKIN SEEDS. I love pumpkin seeds, roasted and with just a little bit of salt, and the only time we have those is after we've cut jack-o-lanterns, so they're reall an autumn taste.

What is fall weather like where you live? Here in early October in Colorado it's getting almost cold at night; the furnace has been kicking on at about bedtime and running until we're done with our morning prayers. Most days are crisp, but pleasant, still warm enough for just long sleeves outside. The girls are wearing socks with their sandals most of the time now.

What color is fall? Fall is every color, but with a warm golden-brown undertone. Fall is sepia toned.

What does fall smell like? It smells like burnt leaves, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Holiday shopping in fall: Just starting my serious list, and going through my Christmas cupboard to see what I've already accumulated.

If you could go anywhere in the fall, where would you go? Anywhere in the Rocky Mountains in a jeep with my husband.

What is your favorite fall sport? The playoffs for the World Series if the Rockies are in it! &:o) Otherwise, I do love the sound of football and my boys cheering the Broncos on a Sunday afternoon, while I read in a cozy corner.

Do you have a favorite fall chore? I enjoy stashing away the summer decor and going through the bins of fall things, rediscovering them like old friends... I love re-assembling our cherished family scarecrow (We made him about 18years ago!) and figuring out where to prop him.

What is your least favorite thing about fall? Like this meme's creator, Dawn, the only thing I don't like about Fall is that it doesn't last longer!

What is your favorite fall holiday? Thanksgiving Day is always wonderful, but I love the day before Thanksgiving when all the children gather in the kitchen for a pie-making frenzy. You would not believe how many pies we have every year and all the variety!

What's your favorite kind of pie? Oh, my goodness. Hard question! Though I love all the wild and exotic pies the children make, I think I have to settle on good old apple, followed closely by pumpkin pie.

What was your favorite Halloween costume? One year we made Paul a "Jonah, in the whale" costume that still tickles my funny bone. Another year, Dominic was Pope St. Pius X and he was a dead ringer! I loved making those papal robes.

What was your favorite Halloween candy? Anything with chocolate and nuts. We always have candy corn hanging around toward the end of October, too! The kids like it better than I do, but it's traditional. And they always think it's so funny to stick them point-down out of their top lip to look like goofy teeth!

What was your least favorite Halloween candy? Hmmm.... Candy I don't like? I wish!

Which do you prefer, the Farm or the Fair? Well, the farm has been life for us for a long time, so there's not a whole lot of novelty there. I think any kind of fair is fun, so long as we have the double stroller and it's not naptime.

Do you have a favorite fall book? Oh, love to read To Kill a Mockingbird in the fall. Also, I usually try to read either "The Story of a Soul" (by our friend, St. Therese) or some life of St. Francis of Assisi (my Confirmation saint) in time for their feast days. This year I'm reading (not done yet, though!) Chesterton's treatise on St. Francis.

How about a favorite fall poem? "October's Bright Blue Weather," by Helen Hunt Jackson. (I'll type it out below.)