Ah, ah, Autumn!

I sometimes think that Autumn is the gentle mother that's sent in to comfort us after the loss of summer.  I'd love autumn more if I didn't know that old man winter was lurking in the corner ready to bring on cold, bleak days.  But I'm thinking this October that I prefer to live in the now and enjoy each Autumn day.  My senses come awake in autumn.

1. Autumn is beautiful.  There's no doubt about it: Autumn is one of the most glorious seasons of the year. It is yellows and oranges and browns. It is pumpkins and colorful trees and majestic sunsets. It is bathed in golden glows.  Just type "autumn photo" into a Google search and be amazed at the beauty that has been captured by photographers.  Do the same with paintings.  Better yet, if it's light outside and you are in a region of the world that is in the fall season, go outside and look around. Even blight looks prettier in the fall.  My sister and I used to laugh about a junkyard that was visible off I-81 in Northeastern Pennsylvania. In the fall, even that eyesore could look pretty. Okay, so you had to squint and make it like a Monet painting, but you get my drift, right?
2. Autumn is delicious.  It's apples and cider and pies. It's pumpkin casseroles and squash broth and harvest stew. It's a big chunk of cheddar cheese with a warm and hearty bowl of something healthy. It's potlucks and soup suppers. It's time to heat up the kitchen oven again and in the U.S. time to progress to the pigfest of all pigfests: Thanksgiving. That's when Autumn really crests here.
3. Autumn is fragrant.  It's bonfires and baking. It's fresh air with that little hint of dampness. It's chestnuts and and candles and scents like cinnamon and nutmeg and cloves.  
4. Autumn sounds good. It's children laughing as they jump in the leaves. It's little voices tentatively asking "Trick or treat".  It's the sound of candy wrappers and doorbells and giggles. It's the cheers of football fans from midget leagues to the big leagues. It's the old hymns like "Come Ye Thankful People Come" and "Count Your Blessings" sung at church harvest services.
5. Autumn feels good. It's the joy that comes from helping others whether it's leaf raking or volunteering at a soup kitchen or contributing to the needy. It's sunshine on your shoulders, not burning but just feeling warm and right as you stroll around a fall festival. It's the softness and warmth of that blanket you now have to put on the bed. It's the feel of the Irish linen sweater or the fleece jacket. 

Yep, this year I plan to enjoy autumn and not even think about the coming winter (which by the way can hold its own IMO for it's first six weeks and then I can cling to the hope of spring). But what's with me wishing away time anyway?  My mother always cautioned about that.  We only get so many days anyway so let's enjoy them (and yes, that includes winter too).  In Psalm 90:12 the Psalmist asked God to teach us to number our days so that we might apply our hearts unto wisdom.   The frailty of life is a fact that doesn't need to depress us. On the contrary, it makes us appreciate our time here. Ah ah Autumn!

So what stirs your senses in autumn?  Comment or email and remind me of the joys I overlooked.