Signs of Fall

Me, with my mom, sister and brother in our backyard in Sherwood Park, Alberta. I'm about seven or eight here. I loved it when we harvested the pumpkins from our garden.

I . . . LOVE . . . THE. . . FALL. Love it, love it, love it. All of it . . . cooler temperatures, gorgeous foliage, crisp apples, pumpkins, Hallowe'en, Thanksgiving, my birthday :), October LDS conference, hot soup for dinner . . . all of it! My mom loves the fall, as well, and I'm sure that's where my love of fall started. Here are a few sure signs of fall around my house.
The Delicious Autumn pillow that I bought at Swiss Days a few years ago. George, you captured my truest and innermost feelings about fall.

The trees in my entry way in full fall regalia.

Okay, this isn't so attractive but my neighbor, Laura Smoot, made the point (when we were visiting the other day) that by fall, you just don't care anymore what your toenails look like. So, the thirty dollar pedicure that you got in July is now chipped and cracked and other than your big toes, there isn't much left of it. So just as a beautiful new pedicure is a sure sign of summer coming, a chipped and cracked pedicure is a sure sign of autumn. And yes, I know that I have really strange toes, okay? One third of the population have big toes that are actually shorter than their second toes. My mother told me, when I was growing up, that this meant I would "wear the pants" in my marriage. Alas, when I saw Brent's bare tootsies for the first time, his second toes were even LONGER in proportion to his big toes than mine were. Oh well. Back to fall . . .

My sister bought me this beautiful fall garland for an early birthday present. I twined it around the headboard of my bed and I think I'll just leave it there, year round. I have to be careful what I admire when I'm shopping with my sister because the next thing I know, she's presenting it to me in a gift bag! Thanks Elaine, I love it!

Last Christmas my daughter-in-law, Kalli, gave me a beautiful set of appliqued and hand-stitched dish towels that she designed and made herself . . . all inspired by my love of fall. I'm enchanted by them. Here's a couple of them close up.

I was worried that if I hung them in the places where I usually hang my decorative dish towels (fridge door, oven handles) that some one would actually wipe their hands on them . . . horrors! Sooo, another of my daughter's-in-law, Rachel, helped me to hang them from one of the beams in my kitchen, to display them. Great idea. Someone would have to be highly motivated and extraordinarily tall to wipe their hands on them up there. Brilliant!

And last but not least . . . home canned pear-applesauce and a beautiful Pelee mum. I made the sauce from pears that Brent's mom brought me from Brigham City and apples picked from our Gala apple tree. Lots of worms holes to cut around on the apples, but absolutely delicious flavor. They make great apple pies, also (the apples, not the worm holes).
I love Pelee mums and have to get one or two every fall.

I can't wait to drive up in the mountains and do some leaf peeping. Makes me tingley all over just to think about it! Til next time . . .