Monday NOT In Michigan - About the Fall

from Kris B.

One of the things that friends do for one another is look out for each other and do what they can to make things a little easier for one another.  If you are a regular reader here, you may have noticed that Friday's post was not posted until Monday.  This was because Tracey noticed that I had left the amount of pumpkin necessary for the pumpkin bread out of the recipe.  Duh!  Do to an email snafu of some kind, I did not get the message that she sent me telling me of my omission until this morning.  Thank you gmail.  I am thankful that she caught this!  I guess I really am still looking at the pumpkin as the bad guy from last week and suconsciously left it out.  It is definitely an integral player in pumpkin bread; not so much in Rice Krispioe treats.  Tracey had a kind of rough start to her week, so we are swapping our Monday and Tuesday posts so perhaps tomorrow you will hear about Tuesday in Michigan.  we are just trying to keep you all on your toes and ourselves from falling flat on our faces!  Happy Monday wherever you are!

This week's topic:

What is my favorite season of the year?

Usually when I am asked a question like this, "What is my favorite anything?, I circle around trying to avoid giving a definitive answer because I don't like to "put all of my eggs in one basket" as they say; however, I can give a straightforward answer to this one - fall!  Hands down.

The reason this is an easy answer is because there are so many aspects of autumn that speak to me.  First of all, I like that nature sheds many of its "frills" and only its naked beauty remains.  I like that we humans can add a few layers of clothing allowing us to hide, at least for a few months, our own extra "layers."  I like the hearty soups, stews, and chili that are traditionally cool weather meals.  And orange has been one of my favorite colors for as long as I can remembe... and there is certainly an abundance of orange everywhere that you turn during the fall.

I have been fortunate to have lived in many different places and to have witnessed the seasons in many different ways from the gorgeous fall colors of the leaves changing in New England to the yearlong season of something that is a cross between spring and summer while living in Hawaii.  In Texas, sadly we don't have a real fall.  We tend to go directly from summer to winter with maybe a few "fallish" days in between.  It is not unusual for us to have eighty degree temperatures one day and a debilitating ice storm the next.  OK.  It doesn't take much ice and snow to bring life to a standstill in Texas.  I know those of you up north just laugh at us.  The real reason that small amounts of ice and snow wreak havoc here is because we don't have enough street equipment to take care of our roads when things do get bad.  Personally,  I don't mind snow and ice, but I still definitely prefer the fall weather!

There are a few trees around here that will go through the process of their leaves changing and then falling, but the majority of them are green one day and brown and on the ground the next.  

It is the point when the trees are bare that I like best.  The shapes of the branches against the then unobstructed blue sky are beautiful.  I just like be their starkness.  There is something so real and honest about the trees in this state of being.

And then there is fall fashion.  Well, fashion may be a little overstated.  How about fall attire.  At heart, I am a jeans and sweatshirt kind of girl.  The baggier the sweatshirt the more comfortable I find it.  I am happiest in my sweats, with a fresh cup of coffee sitting in front of a fire, either inside or outside.  The good thing about the mild Texas weather is that we can enjoy being outside for much of the year in just a sweatshirt, no jacket needed.  Also, because I am a knitter, I have an ample supply of hand knit wool socks that I am looking forward to wearing again one of these days..

Due to the fact that I am kind of a lazy cook, I love one pot meals, like soups and stews and casseroles.  And if they can be made in the crockpot, even better.  Nothing says cool weather like a hearty pot of vegetable soup or chili.  And here is the southern twist on that pot of chili; it is best when served atop a big spoonful of garlic cheese grits.  Don't laugh until you try it!  In a pinch or if you are not that adventurous, Fritos can be substituted for the grits.

So now, a full month into fall 2015, what are things like here in Dallas?

The temperatures have cooled down.  Our afternoon highs are now only in the mid eighties and a few nights have dipped into the fifties.

The grass and the trees are still green.

The petunias in my front yard are still happily blooming.

One magnolia bloom has withered, 

but there is another on the way.

I have not yet made either a pot of chili or soup.

I have worn a sweatshirt exactly only one evening so far.

We have had no rain in a month or so.

We have turned off the A/C.

I'm ready for wool socks, boots, turtlenecks, and flannel sheets on my bed!

How about just a little bit of "real" fall, Texas!!!