I LOVE Fall!

This is one of my favorite times of the year, when Fall first shows up, edging it's way in a little more each day. I am excited to enjoy the onset, and to anticipate the fullness.

I love the smells. There is a crispness in the air that seems so clean when you breathe it in, carrying the scent of changing leaves. There are grills covered by sizzling hamburgers and juicy chicken, and the fire pits full of burning wood, accented by melting marshmallows and Hershey's chocolate. There are apple spices, cinnamon potpourri, and pumpkin pie.

I love the feel. There is that same crispness, brushing you in a cool breeze, mixed with the warmth of the fading summer sun. There are the long sleeves of shirts, sweaters and jackets, boots that tie up high above your ankles, and tough denim jeans. Before long there are the thick coats, wool caps, and warm gloves.

I love the sounds. Again, a dry breeze through drying leaves on the trees, and later, those same leaves crunching beneath your feet. Or the swooshes and giggles as children jump and play in raked piles of those same leaves, after they have broken their bonds in the sky and come to rest with us on earth.

I love the sights. What is more beautiful then a forest on fire in brilliant colors? The woods, the hills, the roadsides, the mountains, all bright like a painter's palette, showing off in a final flash of glory before growing muted and dormant for the winter. And I love those same earthy tones mirrored on our tables and our homes in harvest foods and fall decor.

Thomas Wolfe said it well:

"All things on earth point home in old October..."