The Good Girls Kill For Money Club

Ode to Autumn

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
    Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
    With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
    And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;

Autumn is my favorite season. I love the chilly mornings and the hint of woodsmoke in the air. I love the trees turning yellow and scarlet (although, granted, you don’t see a lot of that here in Southern California). The very light changes; it becomes golden and luminous. Even though the world is winding down for the winter, there’s a certain energy.

I get a lot done in the fall. I become more focused–probably because I’m an autumn baby and at this time of year I begin to take stock. I start measuring where I am against where I thought I would be at this…ahem…stage in the game. It really isn’t about age, per se, so much as that invisible measuring stick of my expectations.

I feel a little melancholy in the mornings, but I think that’s leftover from years of knowing that summer is over and school is back in session. I start working in the garden again, pruning and cutting and planting bulbs. I love the way the garden smells in the autumn. The ground holds the moisture and it gets a nice moldy, earthy scent.

The fashion magazines lure me into new skin treatments and new (”fall colored”) sweaters and always a deep red lipstick. I get a new haircut and start sorting my closets. I look forward to evenings in front of the fireplace and flannel sheets and rain. (I love the rain.) I get my vintage coats with their vintage fur collars out of storage. I start pulling out long-time favorite books to read instead of trying anything new.

And for whatever reason, I get a lot of writing done in the fall. I’m managing my 1,000 words a day without a problem right now and more ideas keep coming to me. It’s a very creative time for me.

So what’s your favorite time of year?

4 Responses to “Ode to Autumn”

I hate Winter.

But the other three have their charms. I love Spring in NC because of the flowers. I like Summer because I live in shorts. And Fall gives me an excuse to do what I do best - cook stews, gumbos, soups and jambalayas. Oh yeah.

by David Terrenoire on September 18th, 2006 at 10:54 am
Autumn. Hands down.

It’s still warm out here in L.A. (but then when isn’t it?), but I can already feel the change. The air bites instead of settling like a wet towel, putting me in mind of the crisp taste of apples for some reason. There’s a pervasive energy, a buzzing, I get around this time of year that I can’t quite seem to muster during any other season. A renewed sense that things are about to happen; possibilities just sort of hang in the air ready to be plucked.

Yeah, I like the fall.

by Stephen Blackmoore on September 18th, 2006 at 11:20 am
I, too, like Autumn best. I love the deeper colors–crimson, orange, browns, etc. I love the smell of a lit fireplace, the crispness of the outdoor air.

I find it a more productive time of year for me as well.

I think it is by far the most beautiful time of year. Sure, Spring is pretty with its new buds and pastel colors. Summer is always go-go-go. But Fall is where I think it all comes together. Kind of like in life.

by Laura on September 18th, 2006 at 3:56 pm
I love Fall, too. I love the cooler weather and the changing leaves. I can’t wait to wear bulky sweaters. The only thing I don’t like is Halloween–talk about over-commercialized!

by Sara Rosett on September 19th, 2006 at 12:04 am

Ode to Autumn

4 Responses to “Ode to Autumn”

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