Something terrible happened to me this weekend. I went out for a walk, and all of a sudden I heard this crunching sound beneath my feet. I looked down and saw leaves. Dead leaves. Brown and crinkly, blowing around the street, signifying the first signs of fall. Yuck! I have a confession to make. I don’t like fall. Oh my gosh- I know! I can’t believe I’m even saying this, but it’s true. 

I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately for a couple of reasons. First of all, my daughter recently told me that she loves fall. How can this be? We are so similar in a lot of ways: we look alike, we have very similar personalities and she is even starting to sound like me (every daughter’s worst nightmare). Second of all, when we went to California, we had such a great time and enjoyed the weather so much that we couldn’t stop thinking about moving there someday. And when I really started to consider it, I surprised myself. 

But let’s get back to the many reasons I don’t like fall. I think it all stems from the fact that I love summer so much, that naturally I dislike the season that immediately follows it. I love lush green grass, blooming flowers and of course, ice cream. I hate saying goodbye to those long summer days and warm summer nights. And since fall leads into winter, a season where everything is cold and gray, well you get the point.

Moving to a place where it’s warm and sunny all the time sounds delightful; no umbrellas, no heavy coats, and no blustery days. But this year I really thought about it and realized there are things I would miss if we moved away. I would miss the beautiful colors of fall. I would miss needing a cozy blanket. I would miss piping hot soup that’s been simmering in the crock pot all day long. 

Since I came to this realization, that I would actually miss the changing of the seasons, I’m going to try my best not to complain about fall this year. I’m going to embrace it. How, you may ask, will I do that? I have some things in mind. On the recommendation of my daughter, I ordered a fancy spiced cider candle from Anthropologie (normally I would just go to TJ Maxx for a candle, but it was on sale and she insisted that it was THE BEST CANDLE)! You know how lavender is supposed to calm you down and make you relax? I’m hoping the spiced cider scent will have the same effect on me. Also, I’m going to sample some of the new fall drinks at Starbucks; I think an Iced Apple Crisp Oat Milk Macchiato could help. Adding some fall colors to my wardrobe and picking out new comforting recipes with fall flavors of cinnamon, maple and pumpkin can’t hurt, right? Does orange look good on blondes? I guess we’re going to find out.

There is one thing I started doing in the fall that I actually enjoy. I make chocolate chip pumpkin bread. My sister gave me her recipe years ago, and it is amazing. I’m not really a baker, but this bread is foolproof. My kids beg me to make it each year, and each year I make them wait until October 1st. Then I start baking like a madwoman. I make it for friends and neighbors and it’s a real crowdpleaser. 

I hate to admit it, but I’m a little disappointed in myself that it’s taken me this long to realize I don’t dislike fall as much as I thought. Chalk one up to the blog- another lesson learned.