Fall has always been my favorite season. I'm not really sure why. Spring is nice enough, with the snow in the northern states finally starting to melt, and things are starting to bloom. Even in Florida, the air starts to feel a little nicer, and there really are things blooming then.
Summer is great, too, what with summer vacation, swimming, the 4th of July, at least in the U.S. No doubt other countries have summer holidays, too, or, at the very least, decent weather and summery fun and foods. Almost every 4th of July, I fix homemade ice cream. It's a tradition that my dad started when my brother Greg, sister Amy and I were kids. Each one of us would take turns cranking the darn thing to get ice cream; fortunately, the new ones are electric, which makes things a lot easier.
Winter is nice, too, especially in the northern parts of the U.S. I used to look forward to snow, with the fun of sliding, tobogganing, skiing, and ice skating - though I never quite got the hang of ice skating. Probably has something to do with having weak ankles. When the winter olympics are on, I love watching the figure skaters; the leaps, twirls, the "graceful dancing on ice," (that was how my late husband described it), and I can hardly stand on those blades. So I sit and watch in awe at the figure skaters - me and my weak ankles. (Skiing was always interesting, and I did manage to learn how to fall without getting too badly hurt, but that's a whole 'nother story.) There's also the whole winter food thing; stews and hot cocoa can't be beat - though not necessarily at the same time.
Fall, though, has always been my favorite season. Up north, school would start back the day after Labor Day (the first Monday in September, here in the U.S.). Here in Florida, school starts a week or two earlier, but no mind; it's still close enough to fall. The weather starts to change; the air cools somewhat, even in Florida. (Florida does get maybe a couple of degrees cooler, and the air gets dryer, which definitely helps.) Smells change, leaves start changing color, days get shorter, food shifts from cool summer salads to an occasional stew...
I always thought of October as my favorite month in fall. It was a no-brainer: it's the first full month of fall, the days are really getting shorter, the weather a little brisker without being cold, my birthday is in October, as are two other family members, and the end of the month is Halloween. Of course, the proliferation of pumpkins (and, therefore, pumpkin pies, breads, and all sorts of yummy recipes) showing up in stores and farmers' markets is not a bad thing. But with Halloween, jack-o'-lanterns, trick-or-treaters, and candy, not to mention the beginning of the holiday season...Yup, love October. (Did I mention my birthday?)
The past few years, though, October has been a little rough. True, I've always felt myself contemplating the whole end-of-the-year,-I-love-fall,-but-still mood that seems to accompany it. But the past few years have been a little more intense. Seven years ago, my husband died. It was one of those deaths that, had things been a little different, could have been avoided at that time. I won't go into the hows and whys; there's already a blog out there about it. And while most of the year I can pretty much get on with my life, October kind-of brings back the memories. Right between my birthday (when he handed me a huge bouquet of flowers and a card) and Halloween is the anniversary of his death. He always loved watching the parade of kids coming up the driveway to yell Trick or Treat! We'd talk about the costumes afterward, the way this child marched up for candy but got scared at the last second, or how that child asked for an extra piece for a brother or sister in the stroller next to Mom and Dad.
I'll get through October, and, for the most part, be perfectly fine. I still love the month, for the most part. But if you happen to run into me around the 24th, and I seem a little quieter than usual, don't worry...things'll be back to normal on the 25th. Then, watch out...I've got tons of candy to buy for those ghouls, vampires, Spiderman, and whoever else the kids decide to be. Anyone got a scary hat I can wear while passing out the treats?
No comments:
Post a Comment