Falling for Fall and Color

Autumn always brings out feelings of nostalgia for me; the smell of freshly fallen leaves takes me back to treasured trips to the "Patch" with Mom to pick out the best pumpkins, weirdest looking gourds, and witness the projectiles of the pumpkin cannon.  And we mustn't forget the caramel apple stuck between your last 2 molars that kept the memory of the visit alive for weeks.

Ah, the Pumpkin Patch.  It's like a form of (dare I say it?) worship for me.  It is a recognition that summer is Over.  Days of grilling out with friends late into the night, laughing around the bonfire, drinking cold fruity refreshments, and warm breezy bike rides are Gone. To visit the Pumpkin Patch is to acknowledge this End, and to welcome the Beginning; backyard football games before the light fades, homemade soup and bread, and laughing around the fireplace, drinking hot chocolaty beverages.  While at the Patch, I give thanks for the beauty surrounding the End and wonder if our End will look as brilliant and beautiful.

After a 2 year absence from the Patch, I was back to a new one without Mom but with a new husband and 2 neighbors.  We picked pumpkins and apples and welcomed (tasty) Autumn. 

 The Copper Street Brass Quintet also gave some respite from a cold day of transitions (changing my name-gasp!)  Their Color Project Tour concert was warm, refreshing, and full of beauty.  Matt even commented afterwards, "Wow, that was really different!"  (I think he expected to be bored at a brass concert!)

It may not have cured my transitional blues, but it certainly helped me give up hope for one more day in flip flops.  The sweaters are being unpacked, the arm warmers are being knit, and the soup's on.