“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm, and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.â€
~Jawaharlal Nehru
This morning, we woke to autumn arriving with a few brisk gusts of wind. The air felt fresher, the temperatures dropping pleasantly to a cool 70 degrees, and our backyard palm trees swayed in unison, celebrating the arrival of fall like cheerleaders in victory. It was such a beautiful start to the day.
I decided that watching Halloween-themed shows on Food Network’s “Halloween Wars†wasn’t enough, even though indulging in the art of nothingness was pure bliss. We spent the afternoon visiting friends, sharing a meal together in our cozy new kitchen, and bonding over stories of moving while admiring the antics of two little ones dancing nearby. We embraced the ordinary moments, letting the kids skip their naps so we could enjoy tickle fights on the couch and lazy afternoons. It was a choice that might—or might not—have consequences later.
Yet, I wanted my children to experience the magic of autumn. I wanted them to remember the crisp mornings that lead to pumpkin patches filled with vibrant orange pumpkins, the thrill of finding the perfect one, and the messy yet rewarding process of carving it into something special. I wanted them to sip mulled cider and savor the sweetness of cinnamon sugar doughnuts, sticky fingers and all.
So, we set out on a quest to find a makeshift pumpkin patch, searching high and low online and using our phones’ GPS. I almost stopped at a grocery store to pick one up, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. We didn’t find a pumpkin to take home, but we did stumble upon a few abandoned patches on church lawns. They were full of wagons, tents, and rows of pumpkins waiting patiently, but unfortunately, they were closed. While we debated whether sliding some cash through the door might work, we ultimately decided against it—it probably wouldn’t foster wholesome traditions with the kids. So, we pressed on.
However, our journey wasn’t entirely fruitless. We ended up at a Fall Festival where we discovered shaved ice cones—a revelation that made us realize we were definitely not in Michigan anymore. We skipped the shaved ice and headed straight for the inflatable slides and obstacle courses, where “suckers†were handed out as prizes. We also indulged in some delicious pumpkin-colored cupcakes that hit the spot perfectly.
It was a good day.
But I’m confident that pumpkins, mulled cider, and cinnamon sugar doughnuts are just around the corner.
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