The Fall Tree

“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.”  ~George Eliot

August 29, 2013

Dear Readers,

You got that right, Mr. Eliot!  Autumn is my most favorite of the seasons followed by Spring, Winter, and (gulp) Summer.  My spirit seems to come alive when I am able to pull on my boots, jeans, and sweaters! Although I am a city girl, come September my heart travels to the country in search of crisp apples, fun hayrides, fall festivals, and the beauty of nature.  I race toward the mere thought of frosty early mornings and sun drenched afternoons!

"Mom the sky is falling!"~Zeke

I stood in the doorway of the cottage this morning. There was this slight hint of a breeze and faint scent of the changing season.  As I sipped on my coffee, I watched Zeke look up into the big tree wondering why it was shedding it's leaves on him. I love my early morning time with the Sensational Six!  I have my own built-in entertainment.  Believe me, they DO keep me busy AND there's never a dull moment when they have their eyes open!!

Let's be goofy for the camera!

When, my grandsons were here last week, they helped me finish putting up the Fall Tree in the cottage.  They had such fun placing the ornaments and sprigs of fall leaves on the tree. They loved asking about this ornament and that ornament and wondering why in the world grandma would have this decorated tree when it wasn't even close to Christmas. They giggled and laughed.  Hopefully, it is a memory they will have forever - "Grandma "." had a tree in her cottage that she decorated in the Spring, Fall, and at Christmas."  I smile when I think about that....

The Fall Tree brings out the kid in me.  As a girl, I looked forward to jumping in the piles of leaves and gazing upon the vibrant colors of the trees surrounding Lake Minnewaska.  It meant cold nights, football games, hot cocoa, and pizza parties at Elaine's house.  Just walking down memory lane gives me warm fuzzies!!  I think I need to find a little football, cup of cocoa, and a pizza ornament to hang on the tree.  What do you think??

August albeit hot means that Fall is just around the corner offering that refreshing time of new life as mums, roses, and other flowering plants take that last encore before the restful Winter. ~Miss Dottie

I look at the Fall Tree now as I type and get lost it's beauty ~ owls, dried corn, pumpkins, nests, squirrels, and birds.  It's brightness draws me in just as it did earlier today.  I was looking at the little bird house and meditated on a Bible verse from Romans 15:13: "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."  That few minutes of speaking good to my heart helped me to start my day with such ~ oh, I don't know if words can even describe how full of joy I felt.

The corn and wheat on the Fall Tree remind me of the harvests of long ago ~ a time of reaping what was sown earlier in the year.  In my grandparents day, barn dances to celebrate the harvest were very popular.  Can't you just imagine the sound of the fiddle and dancers reeling about the floor?  My grandfather played in such a band and it's how he met my grandmother.  I like that story.  I wonder if barn dances are still held anywhere??

It will soon be time for hot apple cider stirred with a cinnamon stick! It might even get cool enough in the mornings to light a fire. Wouldn't that be something?

Some need comfort food; I need comfort in my surroundings.  Each piece has a story to tell. ~Miss Dottie

As Summer winds down, I am ready to bask in the fruits of the Fall.  We will be hosting a family get-together for Michael's cousins so I am thinking about what we could do that would be special for each family member. We will be traveling to attend our grandsons' baseball games, and are looking forward to our family gathering at Thanksgiving.  Who knows, you may see us all on television at the Cowboy football game Thanksgiving Day!

I pray that as the heat of Summer gives way to the coolness of Fall, that you will know that you are loved and prayed for ... that you will take some time to truly enjoy this upcoming season of warmth and color.  Maybe you'll put up a Fall Tree of your own.  Go for it!!

Miss Dottie

PS  Albert Camus said, "Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."  Oh the joy we have to look forward to ... it's just around the corner!