Memories, Dreams of Autumn

Autumn is upon us! In theory, anyway. Here in south Texas, there’s not much of an autumn to speak of anymore, but I have wonderful memories of the season from when I was a child.

I remember the way the air started to cool, almost imperceptibly, but there was a sense of warmth surrounding the season, the same way the smells of fires burning in fireplaces makes a cold winter day seem somehow warm.

I remember the leaves on our chinaberry tree turning gold, orange, brown, and red. I remember them falling to the ground, hiding the green of grass beneath the new colors of fall. My twin sister, Lacy, and I, along with our friend, and neighbor, Jay, would gather twigs and rocks, sit among the leaves in our front yard, and pretend to be out camping. The crunch and rustle of leaves filled the air as we shuffled through them. We were warriors, fantasy creatures, ninjas, royalty, anything our imaginations could conjure. And although spring, summer, and winter provided unique opportunities for play, I somehow remember autumn the most clearly.

Perhaps it’s because I yearn terribly for the season that seems to escape me year after year. I want the crisp, cool air. I want to see the leaves change and fall. I want to feel the difference between the seasons instead of having only the near-constant heat of spring and summer as they spread later and later into the second half of the year. This yearning is what, on occasion, makes me think I’d like to move somewhere generally cooler so I can experience distinct seasons again. That, and the fact that I want to wander through beautiful forests like some kind of faery, and there aren’t any beautiful forests where I live. Another dilemma is all the amazing sweaters the stores sell around this time. I love so many of them, but it’s so pointless to buy so many sweaters when I can only wear them a couple days a year. It’s tough.

Autumn Leaves by Colin Brough

To me, autumn is magical. I all too often, when working on stories, make sure to build my timelines to include part of the season because I’d much rather write about cozy sweater-wearing characters crunching through leaves, sipping hot beverages, baking delicious pumpkin-based goodies, and anticipating the holidays than any number of things that might take place in spring or summer.

Plus. Plus! It’s the season of baking, steamy bowls of soup or chili, hot cocoa, Halloween, Thanksgiving, warm colors, and so much more! Lacy and I have already made a few pumpkin-based treats, like frosted pumpkin cookies and pumpkin cinnamon roll pancakes. Honestly, for a season that barely exists in this area, I look forward to it almost all year. My body is ready for autumn…always.

So, what’s autumn like where you are? Do you have any particular memories or thoughts regarding the season? Feel free to tell me all about them! No matter how you feel about autumn, I hope it starts off magnificently for you, and that it is full of delightful surprises.

Strangely,

Chantel