Autumn Beauty

On Halloween, as I accompanied the trick-or-treating kids of some friends, I couldn’t help noticing the beauty of autumn. The vivid colors of the leaves, late afternoon clouds, and vivacious shrubs seemed more sharply delineated.

 

The 60-degree Fahrenheit/15-degree Celsius temperature lured many outside to huddle near firepits, with bowls of candy on tables for trick-or-treaters. It was a lovely day to be outside, watching groups of eager children running from house to house. A change from years past when snow or cold rain made the experience less than fun.

   

I didn’t solicit candy, though I was given some regardless. Yet I received much more: the evidence of autumn beauty.

Though the temperature downshifted later in the evening, a lovely fog rolled in.

Photo by Ben Pyykkonen © 2022

A perfect ending to the day.

How was your day?

P.S. Here are two photos of pumpkins carved two days before Halloween. Exhibit A (left) was carved by my niece and I. Exhibit B was carved by my nephew, the subject of Exhibit A.

  

Fall photos by L. Marie. Photo of the fog by Ben Pyykkonen.

Fall into a Giveaway

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.

Suits Me to a Tea

I’m a coffee drinker for the most part. But I love a good, hearty tea when the autumn weather turns nippy. How about you? A new favorite is Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend.

Recently, a friend and I conducted an informal taste test of herbal teas. Among the cinnamon tea blends, we concluded that Trader’s Joe Harvest Blend was the best tasting. This is our opinion, of course. Yet others who tried the tea quickly headed to the store to buy it. They then gave tea bags to other people who then bought their own box of the tea. Yes, my friend and I are tea pushers. The first bag is free. 🙂

Isn’t it interesting that something steeped in hot water can produce such a rich, memorable flavor? Sounds like life, doesn’t it? (Work with me here. It sounds like life, doesn’t it? Just nod your head.) When we’re in hot water—troublesome circumstances—the flavor of our character is revealed. Are we bitter, as some tea is when steeped too long? Or do the “hot” circumstances bring out the best in us?

The subject came up as I recently pondered my reaction to disappointing expectations and problems. As others announced the joyous news of book deals, I contemplated the lack of positive news in my mailbox (including a no for the YA book I queried earlier this year). I soon realized that a thread of bitterness had crept in and wound itself around me, leaving me complaining and paralyzed. Kind of like a mummy in a sarcophagus. Only . . . mummies don’t really complain, do they? And if they’re of the undead variety, they’re not really paralyzed either. Instead, a mummy might break out of his or her sarcophagus and lurch about, terrorizing villages. So that metaphor is a bit labored. But you get what I mean.

A couple of quotes struck me recently:

 

I guess it’s time for me to stop whining and do what I know to do: write and keep going. To celebrate the power of persistence, I’m giving away a box of this Harvest Blend Herbal Tea and some crocheted leaves. (If you want to know more about these leaves, click on crocheted leaves to get the pattern, which was designed by Michelle at The Painted Hinge blog.) I’ll choose a commenter at random. Feel free to comment on a tea you love or some aspect of autumn you love. Or talk about which quote above speaks to you. Perhaps you have another favorite quote about persistence. Winner to be announced Friday, November 6.

Thomas Edison quote from pinterest. Harriet Beecher Stowe quote from viacharacterblog.org.