from the publishers
Hallelujah for Halloween, harvest and other autumnal happenings
Pack away the T-shirts and shorts; get out the sweaters and jackets.
Say good-bye to lemonade and iced tea; heat up some cocoa, coffee or cider.
No more suntan lotion or bug spray. Make way for pumpkins, apple orchards and jack-o-lanterns. Oh, and don’t forget the scented candles, quilts and down comforters.
Grab a good book, turn on some quiet music and snuggle in for some rest and relaxation, whether in your cozy nest of a home or at your favorite B & B.
Yes, as the summer sun fades and our tans with it, comes the awakening of a new season — one vibrant in color and clarity, in smells and textures.
This is a busy time of year for those of us who call Minnesota home. It’s time for a changing of the guard. It’s time to ready the garden for its winter’s nap. It’s time to put away the garden hose and find that snow shovel just in case Mother Nature pulls one of her tricks and dumps a few feet of snow on us just in time for Halloween.
No more noisy back yards during the day. The kids are off to school. Watch out for the buses. Leave five minutes earlier for work to avoid the crowded roads.
And even if you’re not school-aged, indulge yourself by picking up some paper and pens and pencils and maybe even a box of crayons. Because really, who ever completely outgrows that urge to pick up some back-to-school supplies?
Autumn also is the perfect time of year to take a drive in the country, whether it’s enroute to an apple orchard, a pumpkin patch, to view the fall colors or to watch the combines clear a corn field. It’s time to cast an eye skyward to see the geese head south, to marvel in the autumn sunset and inhale deeply the scent of fall.
If you’re a gardener, dig up the potatoes, haul them to the cellar and can whatever veggies remain for those cold winter evening meals ahead. Turn a football game on the radio as you work and let the gridiron sounds serve as this season’s symphony orchestra. It’s amazing how a contact sport, when given a chance, can provide some melodic listening.
Fill your house with the scents of the season: some homemade bread, some stew simmering in a crock pot or an apple pie just pulled from the oven.
And remember, this is the season for some good sleepin’ weather!
- Mike Nistler and Diane Wimmer