An Ode to Fall

Part two is coming…I promise. I thought for sure I’d find some time to write this weekend, but no such luck. Instead this weekend we officially packed away summer and unpacked fall. It was too good not to share!

While we were in Arizona last week, fall happened back east. The bright greens and candy colors of summer morphed into a palette of crimson, gold and orange. The trees now boldly display their fiery hues. Pumpkins and scarecrows dot the neighbors’ yards. Leaves crunch underfoot. Smoky aromas waft from nearby chimneys. And just like that, our thoughts have turned to hot chocolate, hayrides and even the holidays.

Autumn is arguably the best season of the year. Warm days give way to cool nights. We slow down and settle in. We look forward to bundling up, snuggling in and getting cozy.

Fall officially floated into my life last Thursday. I sat in my car outside the violin teacher’s house while my daughter took her lesson. It was early evening but still warm enough to keep the windows open. As I read my book, a large leaf dropped through the sunroof onto my lap. Then another. And another. I glanced up to witness a flurry of leaves, like snowflakes, delicately drifting downward from the massive trees all around. Serenading them on their descent, the violin’s melody floated on the gentle breeze. For a moment this simple neighborhood was magically transformed and I paused to soak in the simple beauty. If I were apt to write poetry, I would write of this.

That could have been enough, but the entirety of this weekend was an ode to fall. Penn State beating Michigan. My son’s chilly Saturday night football game (unfortunately his team lost—again!). Putting flannel sheets and a down comforter on the bed. Wearing turtlenecks. Picking apples. Decorating with cornstalks, hay bales and pumpkins. Planting bulbs for the spring. Even making homemade chili and apple pie. (Only 20 more pounds of apples to go!) Best of all, our family enjoyed it together. My son was an apple picking pro and happily helped peel them for the pie. My daughter put all those hours of watching HGTV to work and added her expert flair to the decorating. Even our dog, Tess, joined along for the fun and absolutely loved fetching the endless supply of apples that had fallen from the trees. My husband and I enjoyed watching it all unfold.

Too many weekends have us on the go and gasping for breath by Sunday night. But once in a while we start Monday relaxed and restored, ready for the week ahead. This weekend was such a gift. Thank you Lord for the unplanned and unexpected treats you put in our path.

No matter where you are right now—geographically, emotionally, physically, spiritually—or what you see outside your window, God’s love and wonders are everywhere. In the smallest of moments and tiniest of details. Evidence of His wondrous creation abounds. Take time to breathe in, observe and savor Him in it all.

“What a wildly wonderful world, God!

You made it all, with Wisdom at your side,

made earth overflow with your wonderful creations.”

(Psalm 104:24, The Message)