The Heart of Autumn

Autumn is finally here and I feel like I am awake again. Hot Texas summers can make one feel sleepy and sluggish but we perk up when the first cool front floats in! I love getting out into the sunshine on a Fall afternoon; the sunlight is at a different angle and bathes everything in gold. Darkness falls gently, creeping in on little cat feet and the clear night sky is bright and alive with stars. How we love retaking the outdoors with the cooler weather; breakfast on the back porch is a treat with hot coffee taking the edge off the morning coolness. We enjoy getting out of the workplace for lunch - taking a sandwich out to the park to enjoy the softer sunshine.  The sun feels good and is more forgiving in this new cooler season. Going for a run at the school track is a pleasure now and I linger until twilight, enjoying the cool breeze after exercise. Days off are spent decorating the front porch with bright orange pumpkins or charming Fairytale varieties of green and pink. Too early for Halloween decorations on the porch but a bucket of dried sunflowers or a grapevine basket filled with gourds adds a special charm. I may be the only one who sees it when I come in the front door but it adds a happy note to the day.  This time of year, I enjoy finding orange dahlias and bronze chrysanthemums in the floral department of our grocery store. Favorite recipes come out again. Hot cereal topped with fruit seems like a treat on cool mornings. Chicken pot pie cooked in a small pumpkin or Cognac and dijon beef stew take their place of honor on the dinner table, accompanied by spiced iced tea or a jammy red wine. Cozy blankets begin to appear on beds and will be enjoyed as the nights get colder. We begin to put out more birdseed and food for the deer that come up in the evening. Lamps turn on earlier now and the light adds a coziness as the late afternoon sun filters through the windows and cats sleep in the warm sunspots. I begin to think of holidays on the way and how I will decorate the table this year. We also think of those who won't have a warm cozy home and plan ways to help - donating coats to the Salvation Army, providing food for the ladies who help the homeless animals in our town, volunteering our time at church or the local food pantry. Summer is going and cooler weather is arriving but warmth is everywhere and begins in the heart.