Aging with Grace

Autumn seemed to have arrived suddenly that year. The morning of the first September was crisp and golden as an apple.

J.K. Rowlings

The days grow shorter, there is a chill in the evening air. Soon it will be time to light a fire in the grate and put an extra duvet on the bed. The scent of freshly baked gingerbread and chili simmering in the slow cooker will waft it’s way through the house. New notebooks and pencils are packed into backpacks ready for the return to school. In Colorado, the aspen turn a golden yellow in the fall and driving to the mountains to look at leaves is a favorite weekend pastime.

Fall has always been a treasured time of year for me. I have been looking forward to September first all week. This is the day I decorate the mantel with a garland of pumpkins and leaves. I bring out the autumn pillows for the sofa and drape a cashmere throw over the back of the chair. The house is filled with the warm colors of autumn. A plate of molasses cookies will be waiting on the kitchen island. It’s the first place my son heads when he comes over or my husband goes when he returns from a round of golf.

This weekend we’ll have our annual Labor Day cookout to celebrate the end of summer. There will be barbecue ribs, hamburgers, hotdogs, chips with dip, deviled eggs and apple pie. We might take the dog for a walk around the neighborhood after we finish eating. Our family will enjoy one of the last warm days before sweaters, coats and gloves will be necessary to go outside.

Take time to enjoy the season. Before we know it snow will fill the air and we will be celebrating Christmas and the New Year.