Mwahahaha!
I am the creepy pumpkin luminary that presides over L. Marie’s armoire.
Now that it’s fall, I can’t help reminiscing about activities I loved in this season back in the day. When I was in elementary school, we used to bring leaves to decorate the classroom or to use as models for drawing time. Living in a climate where leaves change colors and drop to the ground made leaf gathering extremely easy. Finding a variety of leaves in a neighborhood where maple trees dominated—well, that was more challenging.
Happy fall, leaf. Dare I say, “How the mighty have fallen”?
We’d also make orange and black paper chains to hang on the walls above class drawings of trees with leaves cut out of paper, pumpkins, and other fall-ish things.
And of course, I enjoyed fall treats like Halloween candy (especially chocolate) and caramel apples.
I haven’t made a paper chain in a long while. Apple picking and apple donut eating have replaced the paper chain production. But I still love Halloween candy (especially chocolate) and caramel apples. Other fall food favorites include hearty teas and soups.
Recently, a good friend sent me a box of my favorite tea: maple apple cider. This friend knows who she is, so I won’t embarrass her by naming her here.
But this friend’s generosity reminded me of another favorite, one that isn’t confined to a season or a reason: hosting a giveaway!
I’m giving away a $25 Amazon gift card (or its equivalent on Amazon UK).
All you have to do to be considered for this drawing is to comment below. Tell me a fall tradition you have or a food you love. The lovely random number generator will choose a winner, who will be announced on October 30.
Kirstea says, “Happy Fall!” Obviously, she’s not daunted by the luminary.
Caramel apple from galleryhip.com. Amazon gift card from Amazon.com. Other photos by L. Marie. Kirstea™ is a Shoppie doll made by Moose Toys.
El Space--The Blog of L. Marie 
Jumping into piles of leaves was the big tradition as a kid. Yard work then fun, but then the inevitable return to yard work that now seems like a trap. The trees aren’t changing that quickly this year for some reason.
Favorite fall food is pumpkin pie. Not the whole pumpkin spice craze even though I’ve found a few items I’ve enjoyed. Really only pumpkin flavored donuts and a pumpkin pie concrete shake at Sonic. The pie still takes the top spot.
I love jumping into leaves still! Pumpkin pie is a good choice too. 😀 😃 😄 😁
The leaves have been slow to change here, too. The grass is still pretty green.
Green grass here too. Starting to see red in the trees this week. Wonder if it’s going to be a sudden change since everything else in nature seems to be out of whack.
I wonder too. I thought the grasshoppers would be gone by now. But nope. They’re still hopping around.
Haven’t seen any grasshoppers and the morning slugs finally went into hibernation. There are still mosquitoes out there, which is a pain.
Mosquitoes? Ugh!
Yeah. The nemesis of humanity.
Have you ordered your new laptop?
Not yet. Going to go to a local store.
Are you still thinking of the Lenovo? I really liked mine. I say liked, because I ran it into the ground. Had it eight years.
Leaning that way. We’ll see what happens once I get to a store.
Hoping for good things!
We’re still waiting for our leaves to change, but sadly, they’re already falling. 😦 My favorite fall tradition is breaking out the crock pot for the first batch of chili. Of course, with temperatures in the 80’s lately, we might be waiting until Christmas. Enjoy your tea!
I am, thanks to a certain good friend. 😉 😀 😃 😄 😁
I love chili. What kind do you like? A friend here makes a great chicken chili!
All kinds! 🙂
So you haven’t yet had your first chili of the season?
Not with temps in the 80’s! 🙂
Ha ha! I guess not! 😀
I love the pumpkin spice coffee that appears everywhere. I also like hay bales and bundles of multicolored corn, though that sounds stupid.
I love the multicolored corn too! Very decorative! I also love pumpkin spice cream in my coffee, though I mostly get the peppermint mocha. 😀
But peppermint if Christmas/winter flavor! 😄
I’m grateful peppermint mocha is available all year round! 😀
Have you ever tried a chocolate, caramel apple? My mouth watered just typing it out. My very favorite fall drink is a creamy, vanilla chai, but I had to give it up for my low carb/sugar diet. 😦 The chai is powdered (not in a bag) with lots of sugar.
BTW, is there a random number generator? Could you send me info about it? I’d like to use it for my novel sometime. gnl61@aim.com
Looks like we went straight from summer to winter here in Chicagoland, L. Stay warm and dry. 🙂
Hi, Lori. Yes, I’ve had a chocolate caramel apple. It was good, but a bit too rich. Probably because it was so huge. I couldn’t finish it all.
I also love the vanilla chai. I have a box of that. Very delicious.
I emailed you the random number info!
Fall tradition? Well, when it gets cold (I mean, Florida cold), it’s the only time I go to Starbuck’s so I can get myself a white hot chocolate.
Hmm. I might have to stop at Starbucks for that. Sounds good!!! 😀
Now what is that that’s stuck on the caramel apple – chopped nuts? We call them toffee apples and only have the plain toffee coating. Did you do ‘ducking for apples’ where apples were floated in a bowl of water and you had to catch one using only your teeth? We also had a game where treacle scones were hung from the pulley (hmm… is that a Scottish word, I wonder? A sort of overhead clothes drying rack…) and again you had to try to eat them with your hands behind your back. Messy, but fun! My current tradition, you’ll not be surprised to hear, is to read or listen to something spooky…
Yes, those were chopped peanuts. Have you seen the ones with chocolate or candy corn? Very decadent. 😀
What a fun game! I’ve bobbed for apples at parties (though I’m glad I don’t have to do that nowadays). Doesn’t apple bobbing figure heavily in Agatha Christie’s Halloween Party?
It does indeed! I’d forgotten that. There can’t be many things that woman didn’t use as a murder weapon! 😉
Having a crafty mind like that must have made her frightening to live with. 😀
Black peas on our (UK) bonfire night. I can taste them now 🙂
Sounds like a good time, Andy! 😀
As long as it doesn’t rain! Bonfire night can be very damp 🙂
Same here. Been raining for two days. 😦
Rainfall in the Fall. Got to love the seasons. (When you’re in shelter!)
Exactly! The sun is out today. Hooray!
What are black peas?
Good question. 😀
From the font of all knowledge Wikipedia:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_peas
My town of Middleton is not mentioned, but some of the surrounding Lancashire towns are, including Heywood which is ten minutes away.
Sounds delicious!
Are they something an adopted Manc are supposed to like?
Good question!
Maybe Mancs of a certain vintage 🙂 I love them, my youngest daughter too, though my son has not acquired that taste yet.
😀
My daughter came home outraged yesterday because the school where she’s doing her student teaching doesn’t allow the children and staff to dress up for Halloween. She says that was her favorite time of the school year when she was in elementary school, and this particular administration is making sure school is no fun anymore.
That’s sad, Lyn. I used to enjoy that too. 😦
Hot spiced cider…the best! (Second best: mulled wine!)
Ha ha! Yes! For those chilly nights. 😀
The weather has finally turned cooler and the leaves have more color than I thought would happen this year. Yay! Fall is my favorite season. I love the colors and food and light! I always make pumpkin cake or muffins in fall. It is a recipe I got from a sewing store. 🙂 It is the best recipe. and I’ve already made potato soup, tortellini and spinach soup – and a big pot of stew.
I recall your mentioning muffins in one of your recent posts. I believe you took some with you when you visited your family. 😀 😃 😄
Yes, cooler weather is here. When I was out walking earlier, I saw frost on my car. 😱 But the sunrise was lovely!
When I was a kid, I loved choosing some fallen leaves and pressing them in a book. We’re having a gorgeous fall here. The colors are stunning! And I love that special autumn smell. It must be the fallen leaves, but it smells so fresh.
Another fall custom: bobbing for apples. We didn’t do it too many times, but it was memorable.
I remember pressing leaves too, Nicki. Apple bobbing also. But I remember being relieved when apple bobbing was taken off the party menu.
We’re having a great fall too. Lovely golden leaves everywhere. Some leaves have a variety of colors.
Favorite fall memories ~> raking up leaves and diving into the mountain-high piles + dressing up in Halloween costumes + trick or treating for Halloween candy. FUN!
Love all of those, Nancy! 😀 😃 😄 😁 (Though my father was hardly amused after spending hours raking a pile of leaves, only to have his children leap into the pile and scatter them once more.)
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