I don’t know about you, but I LOVE Fall! It’s my favorite time of the year! This Fall has been beautiful here in East Tennessee. The leaves have been so pretty in shades of red, yellow and orange. People come from all over the world to see the breathtaking Autumn show the leaves put on here. Even into November now we are still having warm days and cool nights, perfect for a bonfire with hot dogs and s’mores.
I’ve moved my plants inside now to protect them, including my 3 big pots of Spider Plants that are over 30 years old, and I’m already missing the birds at my feeder and coffee time on the front porch each morning. My warm-weather clothes are put away, and I am enjoying my cozy Fall outfits. I can’t wait to buy some molasses and make some hot, homemade biscuits and enjoy the sweetness. (For the BEST biscuits in the world, go to Collard Valley Cooks. com and make Tammy’s Two Ingredient Biscuits, that’s right, only two ingredients.)
One of my favorite Fall family events is when we celebrate Charlie Brown Night, which began when my sons were small and has become a family tradition. It always includes watching the ageless and time -honored movie by Charles Shultz and featuring the Peanuts gang, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” (We also watch Garfield’s Halloween Adventure”). When we started this tradition, we either watched that one night a year when the movies came on tv, or from a scratchy VHS version we managed to record.
Now one of the must-have essentials for Charlie Brown Night is a big batch of Charlie Brown Cookies. I have a feeling these cookies came about when the boys were little and they asked for cookies while we were watching the movie. I had a recipe called “Instant Cookies” where you could use pudding mix to make any flavor of cookie. It needed little time or ingredients, so since I had a box of pistachio, that’s right, pistachio pudding mix, Charlie Brown Cookies were born. This tradition is already passing down to the next generation and I love it! I even put a copy of the recipe with my will so they would always have it!
And we can’t forget about “Football time in Tennessee”, we love our Vols, and add to that the fun of seeing all the little ones so cute in their costumes going out for candy. There’s just something in the air this time of year, a crispness, and excitement and contentment that only happens during this season. It almost feels like the time to try something different, make a new start, cozy up!
There are tons of resources available on social media, (I love Pinterest!) that will give you lots of fun, Fall ideas you can do on your own, as a couple or family fun at its best. I love the check-off lists of activities you can try to complete before you run out of Fall. Take in all the beauty this season has to offer!”
Oh, and did you know that the leaves don’t actually “turn colors”? That is the true colors of their leaves all year round! They only appear green because of the production of chlorophyll. The changes in the amount and intensity of the sun combined with the cooler temperatures in the Fall affect the production of the chlorophyll thereby allowing the true colors of the leaves to shine! Google it, it’s true!
I wonder what brilliant hues, awesome color and beauty are just waiting to be revealed in each one of us? It’s something to think about!
