Simple Fall Rituals/Transitions - Page 2

[kerc]

Flannel sheets went on the bed this weekend

LOL Vanessa don't shoot me but my flannel sheets never came out of the general circulation. I find flannel is just right for "I need something to sleep under but not a blanket." I use my regular sheets for super hot weeks, but flannel for summer otherwise.

[kerc]

Originally Posted by rachiem

. I live in Texas; what is this "fall" we speak of?

I believe ya'll call it december 4-7.

[AngelBee]

:

[thehappydeer]

The Delicata and Acorn squash just arrived at my local coop and I was sooo happy to see them back again! I have to admit the last week some feelings of dread and a subtle sense of loss began to set in as I realized the cold and wet was coming back....I think these feelings are natural, but I didnt want to let them get the best of me. As I sat down to a nice warm dinner of roasted squash w/ butter and kale, corn and wild rice, something inside me shifted, and I was deeply grateful for the season, and began to look forward to autumn's transition into a snuggly winter! I swear theres something in squash that helps beat the autumn blues!

[Vanessa]

Originally Posted by thehappydeer

I swear theres something in squash that helps beat the autumn blues!

I agree. There's nothing like a dinner of acorn squash to start the season off.

kerc-I don't even use flannel sheets where I live now (middle GA) because it's way too hot for them, but when I lived in OH, I would leave them on until summer hit.

It may be 87 degrees outside right now, but there's a pumpkin on our porch, and ds1 is asking me every day if it's Halloween yet, so fall must be on the way.

[zaadad]

Originally Posted by Vanessa

I agree. There's nothing like a dinner of acorn squash to start the season off.

kerc-I don't even use flannel sheets where I live now (middle GA) because it's way too hot for them, but when I lived in OH, I would leave them on until summer hit.

It may be 87 degrees outside right now, but there's a pumpkin on our porch, and ds1 is asking me every day if it's Halloween yet, so fall must be on the way.

I hear you! I went to school in MA and my favorite time of year is fall. I do wish it got more "fally" here. We live in central Florida and as I type this we are in the middle of a thunderstorm and it is 81 degrees outside. It will get colder, but it isn't until the middle of October or so. But we will do all the normal fall stuff...pumpkins, apples, etc.

CR

[MamaPam]

This thread is making me smile. Fall is my favorite season. Once it cools down a bit more we are going to a farm and picking apples and letting the kids pick out a pumpkin. Some one gave us some plaid napkins that remind me of cooler weather. I'm going to take notes as there are lots of very good ideas.

[Krystal323]

subbing cause i need some cool ideas too we always do the gourds (tho our usually get drawn on ), and when i have an extra couple bucks, i buy indian corn and we make necklaces out of the kernels here's a linky

[curlymom]

Don't forget to "flip in fall and spin in spring". Your mattress, that is!

I also love to "fall back" with the time change- an extra hour! ( I hate the "spring forward, though...)

[MamaPam]

Originally Posted by curlymom

I also love to "fall back" with the time change- an extra hour! ( I hate the "spring forward, though...)

DH and I were talking about this yesterday. I'm all for extra sleep.

[phroggies]

I like the mattress rule! And when it gets colder I do give myself permission to sleep an extra hour. Of course, me giving myself permission is not the same thing as DS giving me permission. . .

Alas, however, the temperatures here are back up in the 90s after a brief dip, so I'm stuck experiencing vicarious autumn through all these wonderful posts. No flannel sheets in my near future. . .

[JenLove]

Originally Posted by curlymom

Don't forget to "flip in fall and spin in spring". Your mattress, that is!

Good idea! I usually remember to move my matress, but I never remember "how" I did it last so I might not be flipping/turning the right way.

[beanma]

thanks for the link on the seed necklaces. those sound cool and lots of other good ideas there, too. maybe we'll make a scarecrow this year...

[aweynsayl]

i did a thread about the equinox... but there were some lovely ideas there that you could certainly "borrow"... i mean, it's not like they involve dancing naked in the forest.... :

gather & dry herbs
make bread from scratch
walk in the woods and gather fallen items
fall gardening: if your garden, like mine, still feels very "summery," maybe plant a pot of fall plants... we did one with some millet, and it really helps me to have something that *looks* like fall.

RECIPE IDEAS:
roasted grapes (from sunset magazine): roast bunches of grapes on a baking sheet at 350*, turning occasionally, until juices carmalize, 40 to 45 minutes. serve with baugette toasts and blue cheese

grape dessert (also from sunset): fill a shallow ramekin with a single layer of halved grapes. spread thickly with whole milk greek yogurt. sprinkle generously with dark brown sugar. broil 6 inches from heat until sugar is bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes.

my easy squash pasta: make a pot of your favorite pasta. meanwhile, cook a bag of frozen butternut squash either in the microwave or on the stove (i find it holds up better in the microwave). make a sauce of white wine, garlic, and chili flakes. mix sauce into pasta. top bowls of pasta with the squash, sprinkle with parm, and drizzle with balsamic.

[naturemama1]

Fall is delicious, isn't it? We spend a ton of time outside wandering through the woods behind our house. We also spend lot of time in the kitchen, cooking and canning and baking and crafting together.

Family outings like apple picking, foliage-peeping hikes, gardening and yardwork days (and leaf raking/jumping/fighting!), the last mornings at the farmer's market, pumpkin patch outings, seasonal-rhythm celebrations (like I want to pack a picnic dinner for tonight and get out by the river to watch the Harvest Moon rise) -- so much fun outdoorsy stuff to do!

Fall crafts and art projects with my little ones are popular, and we have fun picking out a handful of books at the library to complement whatever they're interested in exploring that week (lately they've been on an apple theme; tons of yummy/crafty/outdoorsy/storybooky stuff to do there!). Whatever your spiritual inclination is, it always feels natural for us to incorporate that into the holiday seasons -- blessing chains, home and table decorations, donation and service activities. I also go through a massive nesting phase every fall, and enjoy following the Holiday Grand Plan and making our home cozy and snug in preparation for the winter months ahead. And did I mention all the yummy things to make in the kitchen?

I also get really inspired by my circles of mom-friends, both IRL and online, and the handful of homeschooling blogs I read every week. I'm not a MDC regular but I can see that the same sort of idea-sharing and mutual inspiration goes on here, too. We are so blessed to be surrounded by women who motivate and encourage us in our mothering! This thread title reminded me to share the "Sun and Candlelight" blog; it always fills me with that fire of, "Ooh, I want to do that too!" I'm constantly adapting Dawn's ideas for crafts and activities to do with my little ones. Check out her seasonal-celebration ideas for the fall months:
http://dawnathome.typepad.com/by_sun...-and-pl-2.html
http://dawnathome.typepad.com/by_sun...-and-plan.html
http://dawnathome.typepad.com/by_sun...-and-plan.html

[phroggies]

Originally Posted by aweynsayl

i did a thread about the equinox... but there were some lovely ideas there that you could certainly "borrow"... i mean, it's not like they involve dancing naked in the forest.... :

Hey, aweynsayl, where is your equinox thread? I did a search but I'm not finding it. My thing about religion was just that we have a mixed religion household and so often customs from very specific traditions wouldn't work for us. But I'm certainly willing to pilfer your thread.

The grape recipes are perfect. We're actually planning a grape-picking trip this week, and I can't wait to try these.

[aprildawn]

Originally Posted by kerc

I believe ya'll call it december 4-7.

More like Jan 4-7. We can still have some low 80s in these parts even into Dec! Sucks the joy out of putting Xmas lights on your house when you're sweating throughout the process. :

[Stone Fence]

Subbing

Canning tomatoes and applesauce is one project that comes with Fall at our house.

Walking in the woods becomes possible since the bugs are starting to thin out.

I picked the lone surviving pumpkin and put it on the porch. Corn stalks are next.

Columbus Day weekend we'll probably have a cookout and campfire with s'mores (we do this to celebrate a lot). Foliage should be at peak then.

I Fall.

[orangefoot]

I tidy the garden and clear away what has become overgrow, tidy the shed and the tools which won't be used for a while like the lawnmower and switch round the position of some of our indoor plants. I get out the heavier curtains and draught excluders for the door which has an inch gap at the bottom as well as bringing in the heater for our living room which usuallly means changing the furniture round!

We don't have a veg plot but the change in our veg box delivery to more roots, squashes, pumpkins and cabbages turn my meal making into somethig entirely different to the summer and spring. We are also tempted to more desserts like apple crumbles, strudel, poached fruits and heavier sponges.

My dh can't stand the heat of summer so autumn makes him feel much more comfortable and we take more walks and visit more places before winter sets in. The boys still love collecting conkers and pinecones and we know good place to go for them wearing the thicker coats that have been folded away all summer.

[sillymomma]

I was hoping to check out that equinox thread, too...

What's a conker?