Finding Fall

Growing up in south Florida, I knew very little of the changing seasons. I read about them in books, colored leaves on trees as they would appear in the different seasons with my classmates, talked about changes in weather and how one should dress for said changes and made leaf collages out of red, orange and yellow construction paper. But our trees stayed green, we wore shorts and tank tops throughout the holidays and a day spent at the beach in mid November wasn't at all unusual. Still, I knew when Summer ended and Fall began. I could feel it in the air. Tiny hints from mother nature that the seasons had snapped. Summer had faded into Fall. And little hints from my own mother that it was time to say goodbye to one season and welcome another one in. Weekends spent baking cookies and decorating the house with paper pumpkins and scarecrows, MJ's Thriller played on repeat and watching It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown over and over and over again.

Most of all, Fall came in on the breeze. With windows and sliding glass doors wide open. The sun playing with the dancing Eureka Palms that lined our back patio and the music of their fronds filling our home. I'll never forget the feeling I would get with the wind blowing through our house. It was like freedom. The AC was turned off for days at a time and our home would feel lighter. Fresher. Halloween decorations adorned the walls and windows, pumpkins were carved, and as we snacked on  cookies and roasted pumpkin seeds, we knew that the fall had arrived and the holiday season had begun.

So many years later and thousands of miles away, I'm still eagerly welcoming fall in. And finding it in the tiny details that one must look for in a place that knows little of the seasons. Not nearly as hot as Florida, but still boasting green all year long, the beach cities of Southern California require a bit of looking when it comes to seasonal change. So I look. And look. And I find it.

In tasty treats…

Parking lot pumpkin patches…

Shawn's Pumpkin Patch

Rare fiery foliage…

And in our home. Windows and sliding glass doors open wide...

Halloween has come and gone. Stores are now filled with displays in red and green, silver and gold.  Isles of Christmas trees and wreathes. Twinkly lights aglow. I love Christmas, but I'd like to hold on to fall just a little longer, thank you. No white flag of surrender just yet. Fall, please stay. Winter I'll be happy to greet you in a month or so. Until then, I'll keep finding fall in the little things. 

Here's to fall.  More time to cozy up with a pumpkin spice chai tea latte and a slice of apple pie. 

And here are a few pictures from Halloween to enjoy.
(My mom made Emerson's costume and our shirts. She's such a crafty lady, that Mima!)

 Our girl had a bit of a tough time that evening. She needed to be held. A lot. But in between fits of tears and whining, she had a pretty good time. And once she had a tupperware full of goldfish in her hand. It was game on. I must say that she was the cutest little ghost I've ever seen:)

::Boo::