I live in New England, and it's easy to fall in love with autumn. These glorious weeks, brief as they are, feel like our reward for the 9 months of winter that will soon follow.
But while autumn is here, it's a spectacular visual feast.
I'm convinced red maple leaves are the reason "breathtaking" came into existence as a word. I always gasp when I see a shock of intense red among the golds and oranges and yellows. I feel compelled to point out the crimson colors to other gasping people around me, as if they need my guidance to appreciate Mother Nature's extravagant palette--and her obvious apology for the heartbreaking winter months ahead.
Pumpkins and apples are the official darlings of this beloved season. I don't cook very often, mainly because I'm not very good at turning ingredients into edible meals, but this time of year I can't wait to make all kinds of apple-related concoctions. I've got a killer cinnamon-apple cake that tricks people into thinking I can cook (I make it in a 9x13 pan, not the double decker thing they show, and it always turns out great). My other fave is a no-fail Swedish apple pie recipe I found on Twitter (the sugar cookie crust is awesome). However, I'm leaving pumpkin-related dishes to the professionals.
I'm including some pics I took of a New England farmstand decked out for autumn--so you can have a chance to fall head over heels for this season. Now if we could only convince Mother Nature to break up with winter, for good. . .
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I'll be publishing a short story soon-ish, called Fallin' in Love, and it's set during a New England autumn. It's the next in my Seasons of Love series, which started with Summer Lovin'. If you'd like to know when the new story is released, feel free to sign up for my newsletter.
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Until then, thanks for stopping by! Make sure you visit the other stops on the blog hop. There are some great prizes at each place, PLUS you'll want to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for the grand prizes, including a $75 Amazon gift card.
I'll give a $10 gift card to one random commenter below. Just share a fun fall memory you have. Or tell me how you think we can persuade Mother Nature to shorten winter to just one month this year. :)
It is hard to pick just one favorite fall memory but one of my most memorable is of me and my best friends going into the Forest ( Ottawa) to collect maple leaves and other things. It had rained the night before and I slipped and fell face first into the mud. I was embarrassed and furious because I destroyed my new boots. But my boyfriend ( now husband) made it all better by taking us to the mall, treating us to everything Pumpkin spiced (my fave) and buying me not one but two pairs of boots. I just love shoes and pumpkin spice. Great day after all.
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Posted by: Kyra | September 19, 2014 at 08:50 AM
That's a great memory! And you're right, it did turn out to be a great day, even after the slippery start. :) I'm a big fan of boots and pumpkin spice too.
Posted by: Donna Cummings | September 19, 2014 at 09:28 AM
I use to live in the suburbs of NY and in the fall we would drive into the country and stop at a pumpkin stand and have a glass of apple cider.
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Posted by: Laurel Lasky | September 19, 2014 at 09:41 AM
Favorite memory, going on a hayride and then sitting around the firepit, enjoying the cool temps and great company. Miss living in the country.
skpetal at hotmail dot com
Posted by: JeanMP | September 19, 2014 at 10:23 AM
Laurel, the apple cider is SO good this time of year!
JeanMP, I think firepits are the best invention. It makes the cooler temps so much better. :)
Posted by: Donna Cummings | September 19, 2014 at 10:33 AM
Wow, my favorite tree in the fall is the Red leaf maple! And Apples and Pumpkins! We are kindred souls! Love the concept on your books and signed up for your news letter. I live at the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, and so I am blessed with so much beautiful colors too. I love going to Cades Cove and walking the trails, taking in the colors, hoping to see bears, deer and turkeys and just the smells and changing taking place.
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Posted by: Kathy Heare Watts | September 19, 2014 at 10:54 AM
My favorite fall memory is meeting my husband's friends for the first time. We met at one of his friend's houses and everyone brought a 4 wheeler. We went on a big group 4 wheeler ride on a mountain and had a picnic on the top :)
courtlawrence11 at gmail dot com
Posted by: Courtney Whisenant | September 19, 2014 at 11:26 AM
for me it was visiting a friend up in menonnite country and going for a lovely breakfast the morning after i arrived then going pumpkin/baked good shopping at the local mennonite store
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Posted by: laurie g | September 19, 2014 at 01:10 PM
my favorite is when i lived in an apt complex in college and my boyfriend and i decorated our door and breezeway with halloween decorations for a contest! we didn't win; but it was really fun to do that together!
Posted by: kelly mcgrew | September 19, 2014 at 01:49 PM
My favorite fall activity and memories come from taking my kids to the pumpkin farm. It is awesome to look back at the pictures year after year and see how they have grown :) [email protected]
Posted by: lilly | September 19, 2014 at 04:42 PM
My favorite Fall memory is a trip to the US where our family went on our first corn maze - we got lost, but it was lots of fun!
Posted by: Tracey Alvarez | September 19, 2014 at 05:51 PM
im think since hubby is sure winter this year is going to be a bad one and has had me stocking up on alot of thing winter may not come at all since im ready lol
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Posted by: jennifer mathis | September 19, 2014 at 06:44 PM
I liked going to a rock concert in London one Halloween, where the people in front kept throwing candy at the band...
vitajex(at)aol(dot)com
Posted by: Trix | September 19, 2014 at 08:17 PM
My son was born in October. He was a fall baby. Also, fall has always been my favorite season and I love fall colors.
Posted by: Patricia Preston | September 19, 2014 at 08:19 PM
picking pumpkins
bn100candg at hotmail dot com
Posted by: bn100 | September 19, 2014 at 10:21 PM
Kathy, aren't the red maple leaves the best? I've heard the Smoky Mountains are beautiful--I need to add them to the travel list. And thanks for signing up for the newsletter!
Courtney, that sounds like a great fall day!
Laurie, I'm SO hungry now. Yum!
Kelly, that must have been fun decorating, and seeing everyone else getting into the spirit. :)
Posted by: Donna Cummings | September 20, 2014 at 10:01 AM
Lilly, what a great idea, taking the pumpkin pics every year -- you can see the kids getting bigger than the pumpkins. :)
Tracey, I've never done a corn maze. My sense of direction isn't the greatest, so I may never try it. LOL
Jennifer, I *hope* your preparedness has made winter think twice. I'm dreading this one so much. *shudders*
Posted by: Donna Cummings | September 20, 2014 at 10:04 AM
Trix, oooh, that sounds fun. Although I would have kept the candy for myself. LOL
Patricia, I'm a fall baby, too, so maybe that's why I love this season so much. :)
bn100, picking pumpkins is definitely fun.
Posted by: Donna Cummings | September 20, 2014 at 10:06 AM
Going to the pumpkin patch every year is one of my favorite fall memories!
Posted by: Melissa | September 20, 2014 at 01:11 PM
I remember one year we had a gigantic pumpkin to put on our front step. I was about 3 or 4, and the pumpkin was bigger than me. pjmillion (at) comcast (dot) net
Posted by: Pam | September 20, 2014 at 05:04 PM
We've been visiting Turkey Run State Park in Indiana since I was a kid. I continued the tradition with my own kids. I learned this year that my Dad's family went when he was a kid too. We have so many wonderful memories from those times. We go every single fall. [email protected]
Posted by: Corinne Alexander | September 20, 2014 at 06:29 PM
A fun fall memory for me is going to the fair with my friends when I was in high school.
jmcgaugh (at) semo (dot) edu
Posted by: Janie McGaugh | September 20, 2014 at 11:45 PM
Thanks for sharing those pictures! =) I live in Massachusetts & I just love the fall things! I hate that it's gonna get colder, but I just love all the pretty colors around here when things start changing. One thing I love doing in the fall around now & october, is going on hayrides with my friends,... & I love the haunted hayrides too! Those are so fun lol.
Thank you for the giveaway! =)
Take care & I hope you have a great day! =)
Brandi
BLeigh1130 at yahoo dot com
Posted by: Brandi | September 21, 2014 at 02:08 AM
Melissa, I love pumpkin patches -- it's so fun to see all of them in one place!
Pam -- LOL -- I can only imagine what you thought with that big orange thing bigger than you. :)
Corrine, that's awesome, to have a tradition like that!
Janie, I've always loved going to the fair. Especially because of the food. LOL
Brandi, I hate the cold weather too, mainly because it seems like it lasts a lot longer than its allotted season. LOL But fall is a wonderful treat, isn't it? :) Hope you have a great day too!
Posted by: Donna Cummings | September 21, 2014 at 09:23 AM
I remember how much I loved to carve pumpkins when I was a kid. We had been growing pumpkins in our garden and some of them were bigger that me.
Thank you for the giveaway!
verusbognar (at) gmail (dot) com
Posted by: VeronikaDream | September 21, 2014 at 11:52 AM
I have loads of great memories of running through the local park, kicking up piles of leaves and collecting conkers.
Posted by: Jen B | September 21, 2014 at 01:05 PM
I love the weather. I'm in South Texas so we have pretty nice weather from now until next May.
leighannecrisp at yahoo dot com
Posted by: Melissa Crisp | September 21, 2014 at 02:48 PM
As a child I used to love making leave houses in the backyard. We would rake them into lines a few inches high, leaving openings for doorways and dividing off the rooms with rows of leaves. So much fun.
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Posted by: Stevie MacFarlane | September 21, 2014 at 05:50 PM
Veronika, I used to love carving pumpkins too--it seemed to take forever to find the PERFECT one. :)
Jen, I don't know what conkers are. I need to know now!
Melissa, I'm SO envious of your nice weather. We'll have winter at least until May. LOL
Stevie, what a great idea! I might be making my own leaf house this year. LOL
Posted by: Donna Cummings | September 21, 2014 at 06:19 PM
I have great fall memories, some of the best is picking apples at the orchard and getting apple cider donuts made also on that site. I like to still take my kids there and get them a donut and have them pick a bag of apples!
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Posted by: Cheryl Rogers | September 21, 2014 at 10:43 PM