Things I love about the Fall

I've been in a little bit of a funk lately and I am trying to break out of it. I have no particular reason to be funky so I have been thinking about all the great things in my life. I'm pretty sure it's just PMS and the associated DMS (During blah blah) that has me off kilter but in the meantime...IT'S FALL!!...and there are so many great things about the fall. For instance:
Acorn squash--quarter them, drizzle with honey or butter and brown sugar, bake them until soft and yummy
Pumpkin soup, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin bagels, pumpkin donuts--pretty much anything pumpkin flavored. I even tried out the Pumpkin Pie Chex Mix recipe I found (very yummy). My husband used to laugh and make ugly comments until he read an article about the smell of pumpkin pie makes women horny. Now he's all, "Would you like a pumpkin spice latte, Fran?" "How about some pumpkin bagels?"
Turkey and dressing--every year I get EXTREMELY irritated that November 1st they take down the skeletons and jack-o-lanterns and replace them with Santa and his reindeer. What about Thanksgiving?? That most American of holidays? I cannot get ready for Christmas until I have had my turkey and dressing. We usually have beef for Christmas dinner so Thanksgiving is my big turkey chance. I do make it through the year, usually just the breast, and I used ground turkey for almost anything that calls for hamburger, but really it's the dressing that I yearn for. It has to be cornbread dressing, and it has to be my mother's recipe which I do a fairly good job making. I always volunteer to make it if we are going to a family dinner just so I know for sure it will be there.
Halloween--if you are familiar at all with my family you know how superhero centric our lives are. Raley is a walking superhero encyclopedia, and both boys are constantly dressing up in a costume or inventing their own hero. I like to buy 2 or 3 costumes a year for them to use until they are outgrown or they fall apart (usually the latter). Pattie has started going into her brothers' costume drawers and dragging out something for herself too.
Jayme’s beard--this is more a love/hate thing. Every year since he got out of the Army, Jayme has grown his beard out in the fall. I don't mind the way the beard looks on him. I like to tease him about how much grey hair is in it. I just don't like the way it feels. Many years ago a neighbor of ours told me a story about her son. He was snuggled up to his dad who had a nice 5 o'clock shadow going. The little boy looked up at his dad and said, "Daddy, your face is sharp." I love that!! And I hate it when my honey's face is "sharp." But I LOVE that he is able to grow one because he is not in the Army anymore and he will never have to leave us for year and go to war ever again.
Shreveport party--every year around Halloween my mom's cousin has a big party at her house. We look forward to it all year. It has served as a sort of mini family reunion for that side of the tree. It is always fun and always too short.
Boo at the Zoo--we have a very nice little zoo here and in the years that going to Shreveport doesn't get in the way, we make sure we go to Boo at the Zoo. This year it is on Halloween which will be very cool. The kids wear their costumes and the keepers hand out candy. There's a jump house and face painting. Great fun for the family and this year Jayme will get to go with us!!
Camping at the land--we do a lot of camping in the fall as well. The weather here in East Texas is usually perfect for it. Since it is hunting season as well, we take our guns and shoot 'em up trying to scare all the deer away from the hunting camps along our road *evil laugh*
Open windows--almost every day in October and November, even into December if the weather cooperates, we open up all our windows. If we get cold we close them or grab a blanket. It feels wonderful to have all the fresh air in the house. On rainy days though, it makes me even more depressed to close them up so it doesn't get damp inside.
Fires in the fireplace--on Friday nights, if we aren't going away for the weekend, we light a fire in the fireplace, pick out a movie, make popcorn or bring out the indoor s'mores maker and make s'mores (hold the marshmallows on mine please). We all pile around the living room floor and the last one awake throws another log on the fire before falling asleep. The boys call it "camping out in the living room." We haven't done it in a long time with Jayme working weekends, but now that he doesn't...it's time to bring in some firewood.
Well, I have to admit, I feel a little better! And for the icing on the cake, here is a pic of Pattie the Skull Fairy from the Shreveport party.