Five Things on Friday - Fall Edition

Fallen leaves and overalls. Is there anything better?

It's no secret that this (and Christmas) is (are) my favorite (s) time of year. I truly love Fall and I thought that since it is truly fall-ish out there today (at least in my neck of the woods) I'd let you know why.

Five Things I Love About Fall


1. Weather - There is nothing finer than a sunny day with a brisk wind. I can't say enough good things about the moment when you realize that you have had your last day of miserable heat and sweat tinged everything. There is something in the way the light hits everything that changes and lets you know that you are in the clear. You have months until summer's fierceness returns.

2. Color - I know that summer is supposed to be a time of great color. Everything's in bloom, yadda, yadda. Except that where I am, only the best gardeners have much color past June. Summer wilts everything down until even the grass struggles to maintain it's green. (This year wasn't as drought-ey, so not quite so bad.) And winter! Winter has all those nice blues and whites, except when it doesn't and everythig is just a giant stretch of brown. In my opinion, fall and spring are God's reminder that there is truly beauty everywhere. All those trees you practically haven't seen all summer? Yeah, they are now a blaze of glory. All those empty flower beds with slightly browning hosta? Yep, overflowing with gorgeous mums.

3. Football - Let me make this clear. I don't really like football. It's fine, whatever, like most sports, in my opinion. Except that I've spent the last ten or so years watching some team or another (this year it's a slew of teams of six and seven year olds) and I've developed a love for going to football. I love the wind and the outdoors, the stadium blankets and the smell of hotdogs on the breeze. I love the sea of team colors and the hubub of the cheerleaders and the band and the team and the spectators. I miss high school football and frankly, sitting in the grass at flag football is a poor substitute.

4. Festivals - It seems like all the good ones are in the fall. And with festivals come almost all of my favorite things: fresh squeezed lemonade, funnel cakes, tilt-a-whirls, craft shows and walking in the middle of the street. I don't know why strolling down the middle of the street makes me feel so free, but it does. Oh, and parades. The kind with little kids and candy, not the kind with fancy floats and giant balloons. I'm a small town girl, yo.

5. Clothes - I hate summer clothes. I hate tank tops and shorts and even capris. I hate to shave my legs. I hate sundresses and flip flops and being hot in everything. I love sweaters and jackets and boots and jeans. Especially jackets. I love scarves and tennis shoes and cardigans and hats. I love the joy of bundling up a little with the freedom of not having to worry yet about your coat.

So, what do you love about fall? Or are you an autumn-hater?