When I drive to work in the mornings, I listen to classical music and look at how beautiful the trees are with the leaves turning color, the green fields in the valley (still), the beautiful Cascade mountains in the morning light (when it's not raining!) and WISH I WERE HOME by the fire enjoying my environs (vs. going away and working!). I daydream about baking, decorating for the holidays, digging up a few root vegetables and making great pies and such.

Do you guys have thoughts about home like that?

I also daydream about Thanksgiving dinner (you know the parts that always make it simple), elegant little Christmas dinner parties, etc.

I have done these things before, so it's not exactly like it couldn't happen, but I wonder sometimes if I'm totally nuts!

What do you folks daydream about when fall comes around?

-- Anonymous, October 16, 2004

Answers

I know I'm in the minority, but I don't really enjoy fall all that much, though this fall has been lovely, mostly cuz I struggle with enjoying the moment when I know what's comin, and I so hate the winter. Perhaps I'll enjoy the winter more, or at least tolerate it better, that it won't be such an inconvenience and hazard in the city.

Bren's mom is here from candada for a week; we're having a 21st birthday bash for Lotus at Dave's BBQ and Blues on Monday night and we flew her in to surprise Lotus.She's never had a real gig at Daves, and since it was where she first got her stage feet wet it should be great, and several of her musician friends will be joining her on stage. My folks will of course not be there because entering a den of sin such a nightclub is beneath their delicate sensibilities.

Finally closed on the log home yesterday; the buyers pulled a bunch of last minute fast ones and held up our money for several hours........some people are just such pains. They sound like they should fit right in the burbs, greedy controlling creeps. Anyway, we are lovin our new house, the neighbors are unbelievably friendly. Young woman next door came to our door the other night, newborn in her arms, and proceded to deliver to us a gift she had made in her basement hobby silkscreen studio: a trio of t-shirts with our company logo on them. She had visited the website (saw the address on the van) and scanned it onto her puter. Isnt that the sweetest thing? people stop by to chat every time we 're outside , and it's such a change from the country and the burbs we are stunned.

As for thanksgiving dinner, no one wants to include my folks this year, so this time I'm going to agree. We have a lovely new formal dining room with gorgeous woodwork, and we will have a wonderful time just being ourselves.

-- Anonymous, October 16, 2004

I've finally decided that fall is my favorite time of the year. Even though I know that it's the end of the boating, fishing and lobstering season (at least for us!), there's just something about the satisfying feeling of harvesting and putting up all that the garden has produced, putting all the homegrown meat/poultry in the freezer, filling the barn with hay and having ALL the firewood cut and split!! Just makes me feel very secure...no matter what's going on in the world. And, of course, just one Saturday or Sunday afternoon drive through Acadia National Park or Baxter State Park with all the beautiful foliage colors really makes me happy for where I live and thankful for EVERYTHING I have!!!

So mostly at this time of the year, I daydream about the January winter nights, that are inevitable, when I can hunker down beside the wood cookstove and relax with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book (or cross stitch) while a pot of beef stew or soup is simmering away :-)!!!

EM...congrats on the closing of your log house! Happy Birthday to Lotus and tell your folks to...well, never mind :-)!

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2004

I'm like EM, I hate winter and keep saying it as I watch the leaves drop. Daydream about it being over. I also have a big problem with leave mold this time of year. Makes me ill and have night terrors.

I also had a problem with work a few weeks ago. They put cockroach killer down - actually, they used THREE different killers. I told the kid it's a good thing he didn't die. I was stupid. I walked out after three steps in the door but went back in to call the manager to tell him I couldn't work. I was in the store, tops, three minutes but I'm sick all over again like I was before. I can't handle some of the stuff I used to be able to tolerate before. Oh, it is so furstrating. The worst is that they think it's in my head. Two weeks from now they will be putting in a new carpet so I'm not sure when I'll be able to go back to work.

I did start taking riding lessons again and someone down the street invited me to ride with them so I'm getting excercise. Had to come back home and put on warmer clothes. It was nice riding on trails and being with people who are horse like. They also have the same sense of humor as me :)

I have DSL coming so I may be off line for a little while. We'll see. Got mad at AT&T so switched back to Verizon and they offered it. I predict AT&T going out of business soon.

Hey, does anyone else hate the fact that Christmas stuff is out in October? I think there should be a law that nothing be put out until after Thanksgiving so no one is sick of it by the time it comes.

-- Anonymous, October 20, 2004

I agree Dee, I hate Christmas in October. Or September, as was the case up here. Where the hell is the potting soil and what is this damn dancing Rudolph doing in the bone meal aisle?

I love fall - it is my favorite time of the year. It means that things are finally gonna start calming down around here and I can get some rest! I love the colors of the trees, and the interesting seed pods on the plants. I like seeing my evergreens and bird feeders full of birds. I like seeing my pantry fully stocked with all my favorite winter grub. I like the thought of getting out my fall dishes and enjoying the pattern on them. I like crunching through the fallen leaves with the dogs, and heaping Bunny's hutch full of leaves so that she can hide in them. I like putting the garden to bed and putting manure on the beds to mellow over winter. I like gathering seed for next years garden. I like taking the time to bake bread again. I like flopping on the couch with the cat and a good book and not having to worry about weeds in the petunias or tomatoes ripening out of control. I like the smell of apples and wood smoke and black walnuts and leaves and the fresh cold scent of line dried sheets. Oh yeah, I like fall!

-- Anonymous, October 24, 2004

I'll agree, this is my favorite time of year. The weather has been just amazing this fall. The days are crisp and sunny, low humidity, and best of all there's no mosquitoes! :-)

-- Anonymous, October 25, 2004

No ladybug plague where you're at yet, Sherri?

they eat aphids, they eat aphids, they eat aphids....

(It's not working - I STILL hate the little buggers!)

-- Anonymous, October 26, 2004

I went in to a Bon-Macy's yesterday to buy a turkey roaster (yeah, I know...it's not even Halloween, but they had $60 roasters for $29.99 and the roaster came with a rack. I also scored a Le Creuset 5-quart roasting pan for $12.99; an unexpected find!)...Anyway, it's not quite Halloween, and I was shopping for Thanksgiving, but all around the Housewares department was the Christmas department. Do you suppose they'll have the Valentines up around Dec 1?

To me, the harvest season is really important and very few people pay attention to it anymore. Thanksgiving seems to be more about Pilgrims, or actually about football, more likely. How many people think about the moon months? Harvest, Hunter's, etc. I wonder if people remember where food comes from?

Anyway, we saw our first snow driving to E. Washington Friday night and lots coming home on Sunday. Roads were still fine, but it's coming...at least around here we have to go up in elevation to be in it. brrrrr.

-- Anonymous, October 26, 2004

Snow...already, Sheepish??!! It hasn't even been cold enough here yet to "introduce" Amy (the pig!) to our freezer. We need a really cold night to firm up the carcass for cutting.

No ladybugs here either, Polly. They must all be at your place :-)!!!

-- Anonymous, October 27, 2004

We have hardly any of those pesky ladybugs either this year. There is a clump of about six up in the corner of my kitchen by the door which I must get to once of these days; they flew in when we had a sunny day earlier this week. It's been the only sunny day we've had in about three weeks and it's gettin to me. drear drear drear. However, it has been very mild, so can't complain. We still havent had a hard freeze so it's been comfortable canvassing the neighborhoods in the evenings. Bren's mom is probably going to move here next spring cuz she wants to be near us and cuz she's part gypsy, but the sun didnt shine the entire week she was here so she was kinda discouraged about the weather. Felt like seattle back when I lived there. yuk. :)

I just love our radiant heat! we've never had radiators before, and i'm surprised how fast the house heats up and how efficient it is. We just love this old house! Still lots of work to do yet though; loads of boxes still in basement, and things to hang on walls, which is a major job cuz of the concrete walls!

-- Anonymous, October 27, 2004

When Gary was a baby, I had small glass bottles that I would put water in and set on the radiator at night. Then when he woke up for his feeding, I would put in the powder mix, shake it and it was heated. Oh, How I loved those Radiators then. Dried stuff really fast too. Bad to bump against when hot.

We've used the stove three times so far. Hasn't been consistantly cold enough for the stove but cold enough for the oil to be used.

-- Anonymous, October 27, 2004

We've had to use our wood cookstove several times first thing in the morning to take the chill off. Then by 9 a.m. I let the stove go out and start opening windows!! I hate "stuffy" warm air :-)! The log walls hold the heat for the rest of the day.

Nuthin' better than radiators and woodstoves for drying or heating things up...pronto!

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2004

And I love setting my towel on the radiator before getting into the shower......how lovely to grab that toasty towel!

Our radiators aren't hot to the touch yet; I assume they'll be hotter when the temps start to dip and they're workin harder? Havent had a radiator in my domicile since I was about 19 and rentin an apartment on the freeway (well, not ON the freeway, but 'pret near' as my grandma used to say.)

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2004