Fall is a paradoxical time of year. As the weather chills and everything seems to slow down, there’s the simultaneous rushing about to prepare for the November and December holiday season. It’s also the time of year when some of us feel most alive and alert, yet most contemplative and inward-looking.
Those in colder areas already have their snow tires ready (and in some cases, have already used them); those in warmer zones are watching the temperatures (and the orange groves), with a worried eye. Will there be snow in Florida again this year? Possibly. Possibly. Better make sure those heavy jackets get aired out…
And those of us more or less in the middle, like Leona Wisoker and Barbara Friend Ish (Virginia and Georgia, respectively), are just beginning to tuck our gardens away for the winter and gather our seasonal traditions around us. In the latest monthly update, we mentioned a few of the traditions among our staff and authors; Edward Morris, for example, carves jack o’lanterns (and enjoys some tasty soup along the way!), makes corndollies, watches football, cleans house, and keeps Halloween candy in the house at all times. Leona believes in keeping a bowl of mixed nuts and a simple silver nutcracker on the table; it usually takes through March for them all to get eaten, but traditions don’t need to make sense, do they?
But Barbara Friend Ish didn’t get her chance to weigh in last time, so here’s her answer:
As a Yankee in the midst of a long-term exile in Atlanta, I find fall to be the time when I can actually enjoy this pretty country, because it is no longer meltingly hot and humid. I take advantage of it by doing the majority of my reading and planning for stories out on the deck, soaking up the wonderful crisp air and the sound of the fall leaves in the trees above. But the holidays at this time of year actually pull me toward family and friends, and it can be harder to find time to create. I try to remember to just enjoy those periods, and to accept that it’s all part of the natural cycle.
So once again, here’s the question for you, our readers: what fall traditions do you indulge in? What makes this time of year special for you? Inquiring writers want to know…
