Fall Changes are delightful

Blogging from Bruce
November 3, 2008

I am not a creature of habit but I don’t really like change either. Gradual changes are ok as long as I know they are coming and I have time to prepare. Sudden changes make me arch my back and spit like an angry feline.

The changes in weather this past week has been delightful to me. I love the first nips of cold. I may complain about it but I still like it. I like pulling out my favorite sweat shirts and sweaters and getting all snug and comfy on the sofa with a good book and some hot chocolate. This is the time of year when I look at God’s paint brush and I revel in the vast array of colors that are appearing each day in my own yard.

We are blessed to have an honest to goodness Sugar Maple in our yard. It is absolutely gorgeous this time of year. Those two nights of frost last week was all it needed to start its colorful show. First the green leaves start taking on a hint of deep red. Then the green goes away little by little each day until the tree is a flaming mass of fiery reds and oranges. The reds and oranges fade to a brilliant yellow and then the leaves just drop. It’s a sad day when the leaves drop but it’s the cycle for this particular tree.

I know other people notice my tree because I have seen them drive by very slowly each day and look at the splash of colors this magnificent tree produces. Watching this tree as it goes through its changing Fall wardrobe makes me happy indeed.

Another thing about Autumn weather that makes me happy is I can pull out all of soup and chili recipes and I can bake all the sweet potato and pumpkin pies that I want.

Last week Ariel had a special request when she came home for the weekend. She wanted a pan of chicken and dressing with candied sweet potatoes. It just doesn’t seem natural to eat them any other time of the year except in November and December in our family. Scott drove down to Columbus to pick her up Friday and I went to the store to pick up the ingredients for dinner. While she and Erin helped the Ji Eun, Ping and Rachel get dressed up as a mummy, a pirate and a fairy and take them out Trick or Treating, I was in the kitchen chopping celery and onions and cooking the chicken and the corn bread.

It is usually an all day affair when I start cooking a chicken and dressing meal. After the girls spent some time on the front porch handing out candy to the little kids, they finally went out and experienced that unusual bit of American tradition for themselves. Then they went to the football game. By the time they all arrived back home, I had literally thrown together a huge pan of dressing, cranberry sauce, candied sweet potatoes and creamed corn with a sweet potato pie for dessert. The house smelled mighty good when they arrived back home. They all entered the house sniffing the air like puppies on the trail of something to eat.

I had to laugh at the Asian girls as they tried to eat dressing with chopsticks. There are just some foods that don’t lend themselves to those eating sticks. Ariel showed them the best way to eat dressing was with a big spoon.

Halloween night was a good night. The kids got to experience Trick or Treating, Ariel came home for the weekend and we all got to eat some Fall comfort foods. And on Saturday, Scott climbed up on the roof and started putting up the Christmas lights in preparation for this year’s light show. Yep. I love Autumn and all of its sights and smells and tastes. Now that’s the kind of change I can be happy with.