by Christie Kelley
While Anna and Christine (and all our Bandita Buddies in the Southern Hemisphere) are enjoying spring, here in Maryland it’s fall. And I love it! I’m writing this on Thursday but it doesn’t really feel like fall here yet. Some of the leaves are starting to fall but most of the trees have only just started to turn. Not to mention, it’s almost 80 degrees here.
Fall is that time to hunker down and make sure every thing is in working order before winter comes. This year, I’ll have heat!! For anyone who wasn’t reading the blog last winter, my home was being remodeled and for 4 months I lived in a house with only two portable heaters. It was cozy living in one room with my husband and two boys but this year, I’ll have two gas fireplaces and working heat pumps. I’m actually looking forward to the cooler weather.
Fall makes me want to bake things like warm cookies with cinnamon. Last night with all the windows opened, I made peanut butter cookies and banana bread. With the warm weather, it just wasn't the
same.
Fall also brings one of my favorite holidays: Halloween. There's nothing more fun than handing out candy to the little kids all dressed up. Their excitement is contagious.
While Anna and Christine (and all our Bandita Buddies in the Southern Hemisphere) are enjoying spring, here in Maryland it’s fall. And I love it! I’m writing this on Thursday but it doesn’t really feel like fall here yet. Some of the leaves are starting to fall but most of the trees have only just started to turn. Not to mention, it’s almost 80 degrees here. Luckily, a cold front is heading our way.
Fall is that time to hunker down and make sure every thing is in working order before winter comes. This year, I’ll have heat!! For anyone who wasn’t reading the blog last winter, my home was being remodeled and for 4 months I lived in a house with only two portable heaters. It was cozy living in one room with my husband and two boys but this year, I’ll have two gas fireplaces and working heat pumps. I’m actually looking forward to the cooler weather.Fall makes me want to bake things like warm cookies with cinnamon. Last night with all the windows opened, I made peanut butter cookies and banana bread. With the warm weather, it just wasn't the
same.Fall also brings one of my favorite holidays: Halloween. There's nothing more fun than handing out candy to the little kids all dressed up. Their excitement is contagious.
And for some reason fall makes me want to start things. I guess it’s good that I just received word that Zebra wants three more books. So I’ll have a lot to start this fall and winter.
What does fall put you in the mood for? (well, that didn't come out right) What do you enjoy doing in the fall?
What does fall put you in the mood for? (well, that didn't come out right) What do you enjoy doing in the fall?
Or if you're in the land of sping, what do you enjoy doing in the spring that you don't or can't do in other seasons?
Today (Friday) my husband and I are packing up the kids and taking them the Shenandoah Mountains in western Virginia. We plan on doing Luray Caverns one day and maybe a hike up Old Rag Mountain on Saturday. So if I’m not responding much to comments today, that’s the reason.
Today (Friday) my husband and I are packing up the kids and taking them the Shenandoah Mountains in western Virginia. We plan on doing Luray Caverns one day and maybe a hike up Old Rag Mountain on Saturday. So if I’m not responding much to comments today, that’s the reason.
49 comments:
Soups and stews and chili and that sort of thing! Also baking is actually fun in the fall, when it also warms up the house :) Have a fun weekend, Christie!
Day two congrats on grabbing the GR again, Fedora!
I love fall, though it makes me sad it gets so cold so quickly. I LOVE the changing leaves - but this time it seems I'm missing it all. The trees look mostly done now, and it seems like 2 days ago they hadn't even changed it! (No honestly - what's going on?)
I love building fires, pumpkins, pie, THANKSGIVING... :) So many great things.
I adore fall! I love baking and cooking, football, back to school, the changing leaves...every bit of it *g*
Our leaves are mostly done now but the hills were really pretty a week or so ago. It's cooled down here as well but we're supposed to have a nice weekend. It's not unusual for us to have snow before Halloween. Now that I could do without :-)
And congrats on Zebra wanting three more books! Fantastic news!!
Well done flchen you two have really got a thing going have fun with him
Great post Christie and as you say it is spring here in OZ and a beautiful day today I have just mowed the front and back yards and although I am tired now I feel good that it is done spring makes me want to tidy up and I look forward to lots of nice salads and BBQs that sort of thing then when it starts to get too hot the AC goes on and I sit with a great book.
I am so happy that Zebra have asked you to write more books I always look forward to one of the bandits books I loved your first one and am eagerly awaiting the release of your next one.
To be honest though autumn and winter are my favourite seasons I just love rugging up and cooking lots of nice soups and stews and yummy puddings. I am so glad that you are going to have heat this year and have a great time in Mountains I wish I could go as well.
Again congrats on the books Christie.
Have Fun
Helen
Yay, Flchen1, the rooster's come home to roost!
I love Fall too, Christie, mostly I think because of the gorgeous colors of the leaves turning. It's very beautiful here in California right now before the rain and winter set in. I'm really enjoying it!
Hey Christie - That cold front came through here this morning. The temperature dropped ten degress in a half hour and the high today is in the 60s instead of the 80s. It's coming, girl!
I love the clothes that come with fall. Warm cuddly sweaters, fur-lined gloves, jackets. It's a change - you know? I'll be just as grateful come spring to shed the extra layers (grin).
My daughter and I both like to cook - and have the waistlines to prove it! There's something about the cooler temps that call out for nice roasts in the oven, pumpkin pies, chocolate chip cookies...yum.
Fall means football and we still have two more home OSU games to attend (Go Bucks!) Our trees are turning and the colors are dazzling.
And my birthday is in the fall - yay me! Time to help out the GNP with a little shopping!
Hey Fedora - he's back with you. Nice nab!
Congrats again on the 3 books, Christie. Kensington knows a good writer when they read one!
Congrats on the GR, Fedora.
I love shopping for Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations. I'm hoping we're going apple picking this year also. The weather has been warm this week, but the cool weather is arriving today.
We're in the middle of spring and I'm loving it, my gardens gone nuts, the chickens are loving the warmth, and it's shorts and tshirt weather. Unfortunately in a couple of months it'll be boiling hot and humid and sweaty.
Hey Christie! I adore autumn!! It is by far my favorite season. Since my birthday is in November, do you think that has anything to do with it? I do!
Fall means several things to me. Some of the ones you mentioned. Cooler weather, the leaves changing, the smell of wood burning fireplaces, cinammon and apples! The sound of leaves crunching beneath my feet as I stroll through the early dusk. Home.
Yep, it's time for my annual trek home to Ohio to see my family. My husband HATES the cool damp Ohio air, so I make this trip on my own. I'll be home for the first week of Nov. (I'll be calling you Donna when I get in town!) Like the geese flying South in the winter, I have this deep seeded need to go home.
I, too, bake and cook more in the fall. It's cool enough for chili, so I'll be making a big pot of it this weekend, with some homemade corn bread. And every fall I make fresh gingersnaps, apple pies, pumpkin bread....mmmm and then beef-vegetable soup. Can't. Wait.
I am with you guys, fall is when you start making chili and soup. West Virginia is starting to color up nicely now, we had some unseasonal warm days last week but this week it is starting to chill.
Bring warm clothes today Christie! And dry changes because it is raining, one of those drizzly days that make you want to curl up with a book. Woo hoo, 3 more from you to look forward to.
Fedora, congrats on grabbing the GR!
Christie, congrats on three more books! (rubbing my hands in glee) More great stories for us! :)
I adore Fall. It's my favorite season of the year. The nights are cooler, the air smells crisp and the summer haze is gone which brings back our beautiful view of the mountains. The colors are just beginning to change at my house but at higher elevations they're almost at peak. Fall brings lots of baking in my kitchen and yelling at the TV. I'm a very enthusiastic football fan and last night my team won so there was much yelling and cheering! :)
I'm driving up to eastern Tennessee this morning and can't wait to surround myself with all the glorious fall color along the way. Then tonight at dinner and tomorrow at the Women's Expo I'll be surrounded by colorful and talented authors like Teresa Medeiros, Julia Quinn, Kay Stockham and many more. I'm going to be on happy overload! lol
If any of you are in the vicinity of Kingsport, TN come on out to the Expo Saturday or Sunday.
Have a great trip, Christie! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! See you on Sunday!
Christie - I hope you have a great 'fall' weekend. It's beautiful where you're going to be.
My favorite part about fall? Ah, that first smell of a wood burning fire, the sound of leaves crunching under my feet and the tang of crisp autumn air. That last few months you can walk around with out long underwear, gloves, hats, two pairs of socks,and a coat so big you can barely bend your arms.
Fedora, congrats on your GR retention. Has he chained himself to the bedpost again? *g*
Limecello, I blame the drought. There was such irregular rainfall this year that it really affected both the leaf color and leaf retention. The poor, dry little things just gave up and fell off. :-(
Christie, congrats on the three-book deal! I'm not surprised Kensington wanted more, though, after reading "Every Night I'm Yours". It was fab!
I used to adore October. Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the coming cold weather, the turning of the leaves, wearing layers, going hiking and that whiff of melancholy in the air the turning of the seasons brings.
For some reason, autumn feels a bit sad. The plants slow down and turn their energy inward and I think we do, too. Maybe that's why it's such a great time to start new books. I've noticed I tend to start new books at this time of year, as well. Although, my Octobers have gotten so freaking busy I can barely find time to sleep, much less write!
I am off to Girl Scout Teen Camporee this weekend. Naturally, it's supposed to rain all day today and tonight and into tomorrow. Nothing like pitching tents in the rain AND the dark!
Y'all have fun. My blog post will be up tomorrow, but I will be fighting Mothra in the bath house and trying desperately to sleep amidst the snoring from the other tents. Have a party for me. I'll need it. See you Sunday!
Oh, and Christie, the Luray Caverns are wonderful! Western VA is so gorgeous. I am envious of your trip! Want to trade, 'cause I've got a tent with your name on it. *eg*
Christie, have a wonderful time!:) That's what fall is all about; getting out to enjoy the season! It's my hands down favorite time of year. If I could, I'd have school is session all summer long and take October-December off! Course, that would mess with Friday night football....so much for that....
We will go to my parent's farm tomorrow and gather walnuts. And at my in-laws farm they have a massive crop of pumpkins this year, so that's been fun! I love breaking out my sweaters.
Congrats on the book deal. Wish we had fall down here. We get summer and February third.
Fedora, congrats on the GR! I love to make soups too.
Limecello, are trees are only just starting to both turn and fall. I have a feeling once they do turn they won't stay on the trees long this year.
Beth, thanks for the congrats! When I lived in upstate NY we would usually have at least snow flurries before Halloween. I remember one year after I moved my sister called me on Nov 1 to tell me they had over 8 inches fall over night. I don't miss it. We usually don't even have to turn on our furnace until very late October and sometimes not until Nov.
Helen, it's feeling a lot more like fall today than yesterday. I cracked my office window because I was getting warm drinking my coffee. Well, it's pretty darn chilly out this morning!
Thanks on the congratulations! I really can't wait to start this book. I think I'll do some writing in the car on the way out today.
Jo, I'm glad you're having a nice fall too!
Thanks, Donna! I have to admit, I'm really not into football and luckily neither is my husband.
Enjoy that nice cool air!
Jane, I haven't been apple picking in years. Maybe we can find a place while were gone this weekend.
Natalie, I will admit that I hate what fall does to my gardens. But this year, I still don't have any gardens because of the remodel so it doesn't matter to me!
Enjoy your lovely weather!
Suz, watch out for those early snow falls on your trek! I do understand your need to come home to your roots. I haven't been home since last Christmas and I can't wait to go home for Thanksgiving.
PJ, thanks! Have a great trip too and tell us all about it when you return.
Marisa, I love the smell of a wood fire burning. One of my neighbors heats his home with his woodstove so there is always that wonderful smell outside.
Caren, no way on the trade! I was a girl scout and I'm not kidding here, every time we camped it rained. Except the one time it snowed. No thank you!
Gillian, I think gathering walnuts sounds like fun. I've never done that. Have fun this weekend!
terry, I love having four season. When I lived in southern Virginia, I hated the fact that there was so little fall and winter. Maryland seems to have very "true" seasons. Sping really starts in early March, Summer in June, Fall in early October and winter in December.
Hi Christie and all! I love it! FALL is HERE! Yeah! Pumpkins, spices, stew, chili, pot pie, squash soup, crisp leaves and wonderful vistas. Ahhhhhh. Love me some Fall for another reason...
FOOTBALL! Grins. My favorite sport. You wouldn't think so given how much baseball goes on in my household, but for ME? FOOTBALL! Hike!
I get out more in fall, winter and spring. I over heat easily (har, har!) so summer is hibernation time for me. Late July, Aug., and early Sept are stay in the house times for me. The first cool day I feel like I've been set free. Then again, I love days that start in the 20's and only get to the 50s. :> I can see most of you grimacing from here. Ha! Christie, I love the snow. Don't want to move to NY to get it, but as a fellow Marylander, you'll know we've not had much over the last couple of years. *pout*
I'm driving to see friends this weekend and I'm looking forward to seeing the fall leaves on the mountains!
Fedora, you wicked siren, congrats on the crazy chook coming back to your house.
Christie, enjoy your drive!
Congrats on more books! We were pushing 90 degrees yesterday (Va Beach) and today we expect a high around 65 then a drop down to the 50s by nightfall. Fall is here!
I'm not a fan of cold weather so fall is not my favorite, but the leaves changing is so beautiful, I love bundling up in sweaters and more layers and the excuse to cuddle for body heat is never a bad thing. :)
Fedora, repeat after me.
"My name is Fedora and I'm a chicken addict"
I'm so jealous of all ya'll who are getting to take Fall driving trips!
I tried to get bro to go with me to a local Southern Indiana farm called Huber's. It's nestled in Floyd Knobs and the trees are beautiful and they'll have all kinds of Halloween/Fall decorations and they have resturant with the BEST food.
Alas, he won't commit and it's across a BRIDGE :-(
Jeanne, I think we're overdue for a big snowfall and this will be the year. I love the snow around here because it usually doesn't last that long. Except of course that one winter about six years ago when we had over 20 inches on the ground for over two weeks. That was a nightmare.
Just to clarify for all the northerns who think 20 inches of snow is nothing. Around here, there aren't enough snowplows and no one knows how to drive in the snow. Schools will shut down on the forecast of a couple of inches of snow.
Christie, I love the snow up here too, when we get it. And I think you're right, we're due. Yipppeeee! :>
Were you in the area in '96 when the whole place shut down? I was still in NC (where I'm from) but we got socked-in down there too. I just remember pix of people cross country skiing down Pennsylvania avenue. Ha!
LOL, Joan! Maybe the GR's addicted to lightsaber battles ;)
And we don't seem to get dramatic seasonal changes here, so someday I'd love to visit New England in the fall :)
Christie have a great time with your family today!
Fedora, what IS IT with you and the chicken? You must have some secret--or you know something on him and it's blackmail...or...could it be....true LOVE? Honestly I didn't think he had it in him to be a one-woman bird, but I'm starting to wonder. Still, if I were you, I don't think I'd trust him just yet.
Fall...when I was a young woman Fall was my favorite season. Chrysanthemums were my favorite flower, Halloween my fav holiday. I loved the feeling in the air in fall--you know how each season has its own sort of energy? WEll, fall was my kind. Cracking hickory nuts and walnuts, digging the last of the onions and turnips. Here in Kentucky, one of the most intense fall-related memories for me is the scent of Burley tobacco curing in the barns. For you who haven't experienced it, it's NOTHING like cigarette smoke. It's a wonderfully pungent, slightly acrid and yet still mellow scent. If you hold a really good, unlit cigar up to your nose and sniff the aroma, that's a bit like how it smells. I hate tobacco smoke in all its forms, but the smell of tobacco curing is a wonderful thing.
As I've grown older my psyche has shifted (some say into the realm of the insane, but we wont' go there) and I love spring.
But honestly I think it's that I don't look forward to winter now, and fall is the harbinger of winter. A big, drafty, 150-year-old house to heat and keep sound while it's still undergoing remodel, carrying mail on ice and snow (can you say stress?)Keeping the outside animals whole and well through the harder cold spells...all that I think, has taken the fun out of it for me.
That said, our summers have been SO hot and dry the past few years that I haven't been able to have any fires in my firepit, and the past few nights it's been perfect. I got to sit out under the full moon by the crackling fire in the cool evening and sip a glass of wine. Aaaaah.
It rained in a cold front yesterday here in Kentucky, so it's on its way northeast. Full 15 degrees cooler here today than yesterday. Last night it was in the 40s. Got out my warm jammies. ;0) So y'allup there, it's about to turn into fall.
Glad you posted this, Christie. It's our first fall day here. Two days ago we were in the mid-80s (F), but the temp dropped a good 20 degrees. I'm looking forward to boots and fall fashion. I know it's shallow, but Iyam what Iyam.
Hurrah on the firepit, Cassondra, you remind me to set mine out and fire it up. It's been to hot to do it before this.
Annie, I'm there with you on the boots and sweaters. Ready for it!
Fedora, someone has a rooster for the day! Congratulations!
Christie, lovely post. Actually I have to say I like all the seasons apart from high summer and even it has its pleasures! Lying around in the water while the sun shines down is pretty nice! Congratulations on the new contract! And does the fact that you have heat mean that the renovation nightmare is nearly over? Have a great hike!
Hello to all,
We have been computerless for the
entire week! Just skimmed through
the list of blog subjects covered
here in the Lair while I was away!
I'm so sorry to see that I missed
out on the San Antonio blog. It
just happens to be one of my most
favorite places in the whole wide
world!!
The "cold front" got to Houston
midweek and it is down to 72 degrees as we speak! That's my
favorite thing about Fall arriving
here: no more triple-digit temps
for us! Love baking and starting
to include heartier foods such as
soups and chili to our menus!
Pat Cochran
Cassondra said: It rained in a cold front yesterday here in Kentucky, so it's on its way northeast. Full 15 degrees cooler here today than yesterday. Last night it was in the 40s. Got out my warm jammies. ;0) So y'allup there, it's about to turn into fall.
That cold front went through Tuesday here...uhm the 16 babies in 24 hour day! And the past two mornings when I left the hospital, it was a nice cool 55!!! whoohooo. Fall, such as we know it in Texas, has arrived! Trees won't change for another week or so.
Jeanne, in 96 I was in Delaware and we got socked there too. It was great!
Cassondra, I almost bought my husband a small firepit for Father's Day a few years ago. The only problem was it was too heavy for me to get and then he strained his back trying to get it onto the cart. After that all he wanted to do was go home and the firepit was forgotten about.
Annie, it's absolutely beautiful out in western VA. Mid-50s and the leaves are beautiful. We drove through some of Skyline Dr and then around a few of the small towns. I just love it out here.
Anna, the remodel is almost over! My husband has been installing the hardwood floors and he's almost done. If we hadn't gone away this weekend, he would have finished it up by Sunday. After the floors, we still have a little more painting, some grouting and a railing to install. It's really looking like a house.
Next month, I'll post a bunch of pictures.
Pat, sorry to hear about your computer issues. I'm totally addicted to mine. Glad to hear Houston's cooling down.
Fedora, the chook's home for the weekend. :)
Christie, a major hollering snoggity-snog dance for your new contract!!
I'm a spring person. I want the promise of hope: longer days, more light, warmth, less rain, new green leaves, birdsong, flowers poking their heads up...
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