Kathys Cottage

Melissa at the Inspired Room is encouraging us to post 20 things we love about Autumn. I am sure there will be a lot of repeats, we all love so many of the same things, but here are the first ten of my favorite things.
1. Color. The only time of the year that I love orange. The trees, the pumpkins, the berries, all swirled together with bright yellows and reds and greens. The warmth of these colors signals the nesting, cozying parts of my brain and makes me do things like actually weed my flower bed and mulch for spring. It's a miracle that only happens once or twice a year.
2. Fires outside with hot dogs on a stick and sticky marshmallows and hot coffee and chocolate. We sit and watch the flames and talk and talk and talk. Sometimes we just sit and watch the flames.
3. Apple orchards filled with fresh fruit and mums and candy apples and cider.
4. Hayrides, at night, under a clear fall sky filled with bright stars, ending with a bonfire.
5. Sunny days that make the leaves look like stained glass as you walk through the woods.
6.Football mums. Do they still sell these for homecoming?
7. Small town homecoming parades. I don't care about the football, but who can resist a parade?

8. The rustic warmth of piles of pumpkins and squash and apples displayed like pirates gold. I thank God for the blessings of bounty we have in this country. I am afraid we take it for granted too much of the time.9. The glow of candles at night.

10. The first gleam of anticipation for the coming holiday season. Whether you love Halloween or skip ahead to planning Thanksgiving, the next three months will be a whirlwind of decorating, baking, and family time. The best time of the year!