Cherish the Autumn Season
Autumn is a time of change, a seasonal transition, but in that we find ourselves seeking a rhythm that allows us to embrace the season. We nest our homes for the upcoming months, pull sweaters out of the back of our closet, and spend hours filling the kitchen with the scent of cinnamon and baking apples. We watch as nature transitions. The squirrels collect the fallen acorns, the dried goldenrod sways in the breeze, and the wind carries a cooler touch. Leaves tumble from the trees, revealing a bare skeleton frame. The winter months are approaching, but autumn rests here long enough for us to fall in love with it.
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It is a remarkable season. The season is short, the shortest of them. I never find myself ready to say goodbye to the habits I form, and the rhythm of autumn that I fall into. Maybe that is why I, and most Midwesterners claim autumn as our favorite. It comes and goes before we are ready for it to depart. While it is here it gives us time to reflect and cherish what we love. It provides time to slow down, listen, and intentionally live out the beauties of the season. It is a crossing time from one to the next. One we must embrace fully, for it always leaves before we are ready.
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Here are a few suggestions on ways to nest and prepare your home, celebrate and cherish this unique season, and simple ways to live it out.
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Prepare your home
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- Chilis, chowders, and broth-based leek and potato soups are the comfort food of the season. Take a weeknight or a Saturday afternoon to make a large batch of your personal favorite or try out a new one. Enjoy half of the pot, and then freeze the other half to pull out on a busy weekday.
- I have a deep love for blankets. Tossing them on the back of your couch, on the living room chairs, or piled in the corners not only helps warm the room, but also helps keep you warm on the cool autumn evenings.
- Candles are a must during this season. There are a handful of autumn scents from pumpkin pie to cedar that brings all the smells of the season into your home.
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Cherish the season
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- Gather together a large group of friends, or pull the family together for a Saturday afternoon of apple picking. Nothing quite embodies autumn like apples.
- Autumn is the best season to forge for materials for wreath making. The ground is laden with nature’s finest treasures, and it makes for a low, or even no cost way to decorate and cherish the season.
- Do not forget to enjoy a big mug of cider. Whether is a cold, warm, or hard – make sure to put it on your autumn to do list.
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Live it out to the fullest
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- Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins! Be sure to indulge in this seasonal flavor found in teas, pies, and donuts. Also don’t forget to pick up a few pumpkins from a nearby patch to place on your front porch.
- Raking and jumping into leaf piles is the simplest, but most joyful way to spend an afternoon during autumn.
- Bundle up in your favorite knit sweater and head out for a walk. Listen to the leaves crunching beneath your feet, soak in the vibrant colors around you, and let the crisp fall air consume you.
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