Hello Girlfriends! I just want to say, your touching comments about our Dads (!), the Peter Rabbit Room, Domesticity City, and the newest recipes, plus all the connections we’ve been making with one another have made me so happy; I’ve been trying to think of a way to show you how much I’ve enjoyed reading them! This Fall Giveaway is the result! xo
Plus, October arrives this weekend! So let’s celebrate all us kindred spirit vagabonds and our wild gypsy blood with this . . .
. . . gorgeous quilt, which will soon be in the hands of some lucky winner! All you have to do to enter this giveaway is leave a comment at the bottom of this post, and answer one simple little question: What’s YOUR favorite thing about fall? ♣ Here are some hints and possibilities, to get your clock a tickin’ . . .
If you win, you could do this with your new, old, vintage quilt, and that might be your most favorite thing about fall this year. Putting the sweet in Home Sweet Home.♥
Or maybe you love outsmarting the first freeze and getting the last of the tomatoes in from your garden to ripen on the window sill… because they look so darn cute up there!
Or is it the cozy quiet back-to-school kind of morning when you’re alone in the kitchen with the cinnamon toast?
Or is it the way your house smells with your little dinners of acorn squash and homemade chicken and mushroom soup? That could definitely be it! ♣
You could eat that soup in front of this wonderful old movie, which if you haven’t seen, you would love. Have dinner with Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine. Bring your twelve-year-old daughter. ♥ ♥ ♥
Or maybe the change of season is so wonderful because we get to have more fires, turn off all the lights and pretend it’s 1840.
Or could it be the sound the leaves make when we crunch through them and kick them into the air? Don’t we just love it when they cartwheel down the road, tip to tip? Or, when we get to make wishes on the ones we catch in mid-air?
Or is it this, the smell of cedar, juniper trees, bayberry, musky rotting leaves, thick dampness in the air, salt and ocean; being swept along the dirt road by the wind filled with flying leaves; looking at Joe, cute in his black beret, the woodland around us laced with spider webs sparkling with dew on foggy mornings . . . could this be it? Yes, it could!
Or, it could be when we reach under the leaves to discover the freebies in the compost heap, volunteers we didn’t plant? We even got a spaghetti squash this year!
♣ ♣ ♣
It’s a season of the little things in life that make it so special. Let the fun begin! What do you love most about the sweetest season? And btw, not to forget, Hellooooo down there in Aussie Land and everyone south of the equator! Tell us all what it is about spring that makes you fall in love all over again??? Inquiring minds want to know! xoxo Have a wonderful Day! You have until midnight tomorrow night (Wednesday Sept. 28 est.) to comment and be entered!
With Love from the Heart of the Home and Me! ♥
I love the changing of the seasons especially fall. I love to watch the leaves changing on the trees, and the cooler nights. Love to have warm bowls of soup and celebrating my birthday Oct 22.
Happy Birthday to you Camela!
What I love about fall is the “Change” in the air! Not just the temperature but the leaves color, the people bundling up, the warmth of pumpkin and the longer days to enjoy these things and each other!
Fall is my favorite time of year for so many reasons… It’s a feast for all of the senses: The trees turning such beautiful colors, the smells of a pot of soup simmering on the stove, or apples & cinnamon, the first fire in my wood stove, hearing that fire crackle, the leaves crunching under my feet, warming up by that fire, or by pulling an afghan onto my lap to work on… tasting homemade chili, topped with cheese and crumbled corn chips… All of the things that my home so cozy… 🙂
I celebrate the harvest moon by taking a long, moonlit stroll with someone special after dinner or I go to the park with warm blanket or quilt and an evening picnic basket.
I like to go to a farmers market to find those harvest grapevines, bittersweet, moss, pinecones and dried flowers to make homemade wreaths for my home and Christmas gift giving.
I love to make root beer floats using apple cider. Pour real apple cider over cinnamon ice cream.
I like sitting outside with my coffee loving friends on a cool refreshing fall morning and pampering them with fresh cream, shakers of cinnamon and cocoa topped with whipping cream for that special treat. I also invite my tea friends, too.
I like to find a listing of bike paths in my area. There is no better way to enjoy the fall colors than a tree-lined bike bath, under canopies of red, russet and gold leaves.
I find the true essentials for a feast are cool nights, cracking fire, good food and friends. Make a velvety cheese soup, but make it simple by purchasing a large can of ham, cheese & potato soup and a package of frozen broccoli with cheese or microwaveable broccoli with cheese. Pour the soup into a soup pot and start to heat on low heat. Meanwhile microwave the broccoli and cheese just for one minute if frozen. If the broccoli and cheese are not frozen add directly to the soup. Cook this mixture to a boil. In a matter of minutes you can serve in big, thick mugs with thick slices of homemade rye or whole-wheat herb bread. How simple is that?
I really like to go to an outdoor antique fall flea market on a fall weekend which is a favorite way to gather finds and inspiration for fall project ideas. Go early as possible. Bundle up, good walking shoes, hone up your bargaining skills and head for the hills to bring out that treasure hunters instinct in you.
My best advise is to have fun, as Mother Nature slows down, but explodes in color telling us to prepare for a changing season and to create new keepsake memories to share and cherish this years end with friends and family.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE everything about the Fall! Breathing in the crisp air (that first time in the season when you can “see” your breath!) The vibrant colors of the leaves against a brilliant azure blue sky – those same leaves floating down softly to earth in a gentle autumn breeze! The first cozy fire in the fireplace, brewing up some orange spice cinnamon tea, saying “hello old friends” to my favorite sweaters, boots & jackets. The first time you need extra blankets on the bed and just snuggling under them! And best of ALLLLL (prepare for blatant sucking up here….) reading my Autumn Book and making all of Susan’s delicious recipes! 🙂
Blowing kisses Cindy Anne, thank you!
There are so many things to love about Fall. We live in Mexico and have great weather, but I miss certain times of the year and what each season brings. And because this time of year is so special, we flew in from our home in Mexico to enjoy the beginning of Autumn in New England. The leaves have begun to change color, the air is crisp, I can still buy corn on the cob from the farms and bake my beloved acorn squash! I can go ‘antiquing’ but also bought a new Peter Rabbit bowl. The nights come sooner and the lamps cast a warm glow throughout the house. Everything looks golden. It’s a pretty amazing season!
Lovely time of year, so happy you’re feeling it in person!
I’m not sure it’s possible to narrow this down to one thing! The cool weather, the leaves, the colors, sweaters, soups, apples and pumpkins! Pumpkins and gourds have to be everywhere! Hot chocolate, cider and lattes. Quilts and getting snuggled in underneath them and yes! a fire roaring and crackling away in the fireplace! So, in trying to sum this up, aren’t we just naturally “nesters”? During the summer we are all over the place–ballgames, pool, lake, vacation, the zoo, even just out working in our yard and our gardens. But fall means settling in, doing everything we need to make sure the winter finds us prepared. We make our quilts, preserve our food, clean up our gardens & stack the wood–we create order from the chaos that the summer brought to our lives. Very soon we get to be cozied up in our nests, surrounded by the things that bring us warmth and comfort, especially when they’ve been prepared with so much love. Who wouldn’t love everything about fall?
Fall is a time for beach walks…looking for the last of the summer treasures, enjoying the dunes and beach grasses changing to their golden color….watching the changing colors of the Lake, as those big dark blobs of “Lake Effect” clouds start to scud across the sky over our heads.
What a lovely giveaway. I don’t expect to win as I live too far away, but could not help answering your question about what it is I love about the Autumn. What is NOT to love about Autumn . . . it’s a beautiful symphony of colour and scent and sound . . . the beautiful leaves and dried seed pods, each one mysterious and magical in their own right, the smell of autumn in the air . . . burning pumpkins and leaves . . . the sound of dry leaves skittering across the pavement as that last whisper of summer’s breeze pushes them along on a warm autumn afternoon. I love the comfortable sunny days and the cool nights that are just perfect to wrap uo next to your honey and watch an early autumn fire burning away in the grate . . . while listening to some nice music, or glancing through the Christmas catalogues that have started to push their way through the post box. It is my favourite time of year!
If you win, and you have mail delivery where you live, I’ll make sure you get it!
One word: Playoffs!!! I’m hoping my entry will resonate with Joe, which I’m certain will be a HUGE influence on you:) He shares his name with my Dad, whom I love and adore as much as you do yours! Just in case your Joe isn’t a baseball fan, I’ll also go with the fragrance of fresh bedding, blown dry in the crisp, fall air:)
My favorite thing about fall (well, it’s so hard to choose!) is all the wonderful seasonal things to eat and drink. I can’t wait to bake a pumpkin pie 🙂 Love the blog Susan! I always have a SB wallpaper up on my computer at work and at home.
i was born in Autumn, i married in Autumn and right now, I’m with my dad, too. He’s not faring too well, so I’m here visiting him where he lives with my brother. And we have our laughs, though. Here’s a funny thing. I introduced my brother to his wife. she and i worked together. (I have to apologize to her a lot but they work! lol) but she and I have the same birthday (I’m two yrs older i think) and my brother’s birthday is one day before us! so my dad has to put up with 3 librans !
I’m sure he loves it!
I love the cool, crisp air. I love seeing the kids going back to school with their new backpacks and shoes. I love getting the crock pot out and making warm, comforting fall dinners. I love the cozy, cuddly feeling of long evenings in chunky socks and sweats. Fall is my favorite time of year!! 🙂
For me it’s trips to the cider mill. Fresh pressed cider from apples picked within the past 48 hours, apple spice donuts hot out of the frier and, yes, even the bees (who, after all, deserve some of the credit for those delicious apples). And FOOTBALL – can’t forget that:)
A few of my favorite fall things:
Colors of leaves, Acorns, Going to a pumpkin patch, Hayride, Cooking cool weather foods, Chili, Sweaters, football, craft fairs. I love fall!
My favorite thing about fall is driving down the River Road in Stafford Springs, CT and the mountains of trees rising on both sides of the road covered in the colors of autumn, the reds, oranges and golds. It truly takes your breath away and brings tears to your eyes for the beauty. Must pay attention to driving…..
My favorite thing about Fall is making scarecrows out of just raked leaves and old clothes. My brothers and I used to rake the leaves in a huge pile, stuff old shirts and pants and use a pillowcase as the scarecrows face. We would position our scarecrows on the front porch at Halloween.
Oh my, I can’t think of one favorite thing. Fall has always been my favorite time of year. It starts with my birthday, then the leaves are changing, apple cider, apple picking, sweaters are pulled out, and pure coziness is all around. I could go on and on. Right now I have a wonderful kettle corn candle burning and just had soup for lunch. Fall is delicious in all sorts of ways!
Thanks for the chance to win!
Fall, here on the California Central Coast (Arroyo Grande) is very different than other parts of the US!! I look forward to Fall for the warmer weather!! The summer marine layer is finally burning off and we have our warmest, best weather of the year! I love to sit on our patio around the fire pit in the evenings with my husband and our daughters & sons-in-law and/or friends with wine, hot tea and popcorn and dark chocolate!
So often, Fall is a state of mind here in So. California, otherwise we’d be waiting until November to actually experience it. I love the memories of Fall when I was a child, in No. California. Certain smells conjour those memories: simmering “oniony” soup, dry leaves covered with damp dew, and the aroma of school supplies like #2 pencils and text books. I still like to sink my nose deeply into a book and take a whiff…intoxicating!
I Love the celebration I started when my children were young “September Saturday” I got the idea from the Shirly Temple movie “Our Little Girl” We celebrate on the first Saturday after the first day of fall by decorating, staying in our pajamas and watching movies all day. (My middle daughter was well into school when she realized this was not a “national holiday”! 🙂 I also make delicious food and it is the first batch of “pumpkin stuff” (a struedle). I said all of that to say this..my favorite thing about fall is when my husband takes his first bite ofwarm “pumpkin stuff” and says “Mama, this is the best you have ever made.” FYI…he says it every year! 🙂
Loved that Shirley Temple movie! Cry every time!
Fall leaves, baking acorn squash, soup, walks on a crisp fall morning, fleece sweaters, just a few of the wonders of fall and the changing season.
What I love about Fall in our woods is how the trees create their own patchwork of leaves, blanketing the ground as if putting themselves to bed for Winter’s long sleep.
Love the quilt and I love the Fall. Finally can turn this Louisiana A/C off and breathe again!!
I love to see my children playing in the garden, enjoying every minute in the sun… when it´s getting chilly we´re snuggling up all together in a big wingchair (one mom plus three children 🙂 ) and read the favorite books of the day… in summer it wouldn´t have been so cosy but sweaty… (sorry, I´m a german girl)
My favorite thngs about the Fall (in addition to most of yours!) is that moment when you smell it in the air, feel it in the breeze and hear it all around you. Even in SoCal – not so known for changing seasons – there comes that moment when the leaves swirl around you and the clouds are puffy in the blue sky and you smell that hint of cold and dried leaves – I just love it! It comes late here but after that everything coming seems more exciting – Halloween, Thanksgiving, TV football in all the different cities, and chili, baking and mulled cider (or wine!)
Love all your posts Sue – miss my yearly pilgrimage to Arroyo Grande and your sweet shop!
You should come anyway since it’s so cute there! Thanks Sue!
Fall IS my favorite time of the year. My birthday is October 25. I grew up on a cul-de-sac with LOTS of kids. My birthday party many years involved coming “in costume” since it was so near Halloween. Mom would get us in a dark room with a candle lit and read a ghost story to us. She would also hide roasted peanuts around the house for us to find — the person who found the most won a prize. Dad would come home from work and film the birthday party — back in the day when you had a camera with a row of lights on it!
Now I have my own home with four oak trees, and I love the sound of acorns hitting my roof when the wind blows — rat-a-tat-tat! I know fall has arrived when I hear that sound — which I did last week!
Happy Birthday Marsha!
Until a month ago my most favorite thing about fall was the chance of colder weather in California so that we could have a fire in the fireplace and have a lazy day of watching our favorite movies and drinking coffee with Irish cream. We have since moved from California to Tennessee – what a beautiful state! We are looking forward to our real first season of FALL! Already the colors are beginning to change and the place we are temporarily living at (www.grandviewrvpark.com) definitely does have a Grand View of just a portion of this beautiful state!
Autumn is my favorite time of the year. What I LOVE most is the color. The contrast of still green grass, fading corn stalks in the field, and of course the trees changing color. The decorations of mums, and pumpkins on porches. Daily walks in crisp cool air, turn into scavenger hunts for the most beautiful leaves. Autumn always sparks renewed creativity and energy in my quilting.
One other advantage of Autumn is being entertained by my goats, Libby, Lou, and Latte, as they gobble up falling leaves like they were potato chips! Every morning we sip coffee on the porch while the frisky trio, run and jump, racing to be the first to find the tastiest Fall leaves!
Leaves, as a child it was one time we would work in the yard without much parental pushing. We knew at the end of raking, the piles would be huge (my childhood home was surrounded by maples, apple and cherry trees). Flopping, diving and jumping often times until the leaves would crumble. If we were more in the mood for pretend, we would rake the leaves so they would make the outline of our pretend house. The fun would all come to an end when dad would request we rake the piles away from the house and yard so he could burn them. Another good reason to love autumn and trees.
I missed leaves growing up in CA…making up for it big time now!
Wow! What an unbelievable response! I love the crispness in the air, the glorious display of red, auburn, brown, yellow, orange everywhere, the chance to get sweaters out again and pumpkins everywhere in autumn. Thanks so much for your blog and for your generosity! You add brightness to my days!
Thank You!
I believe there is something inside of all of us that yearns for comfort and touch, and Fall arrives each year (it seems more and more quickly as I get older!) to satisfy those desires for me. Comfort comes in the way of once again eating hot soups and fresh applesauce (not necessarily together, but then again, why not?), the smell of damp leaves burning and old books opened, and the sound of crunching acorns underfoot and the swish of corduroy pant legs. And touch? Ahh. This year it will be the feel of my infant grandchild’s tiny hand wrapped around my finger, cuddled up against my chest as a softly aged blanket covers us as we rock. :)He or she is due on October 26th, and I cannot wait! **Thanks, Susan, for sharing your many talents with us through the years.
Ohhh boy, good for you! Congratulations!
WOW…fall is my absolute favorite time of the year! I just love so much about it, I can hardly keep this short! The colors of the trees and going for walks with my husband and daughters, the smell outside when you know people have fires in their fireplaces. I love how warm fall colors are and how happy they make me feel! The one dream trip I want to take someday is a trip to Vermont and Martha’s Vineyard in the fall! I love crockpot cooking, football games, baking, anything that includes my wonderful family! One favorite thing is getting up early and sitting outside reading a book, covered up with a quilt!
That’s how I saw it the first time, in the fall. Veeeerrry dangerous!!! Love sets in immediately, can cause running away from home!
I probably would run away from home now, if I could take my parents, hubby and daughters (20 & 22) with me! Thank you so much for responding!!! I love everything you do and have many of your books/cookbooks. In fact, my oldest daughter was about 12 and with me when I drove down to a Pleasanton Scrapbook Convention and got so lucky to meet you! You even autographed my mom’s birthday on a calendar of yours which we framed for her! Thank you for all that you do! <3
Thanks for sharing your life with us!!! I have loved your talent and products for years and am thankful I have a chance to get to know Martha’s Vineyard, train trips, California, Joe, your home and many talents through your eyes with your blog!!!! I’m a “Susan Branch” wanna be!!!! I love Fall, the colors, the food, and the chill in the air. We have so very much to be thankful for.
So sweet, thank you Marcia! Love that you come visit!
Oh my gosh I wouldn’t even know how to choose one favorite thing about fall!!! As a born and bred New Englander, amazing autumns are in my blood!!! I live for this glorious season and everything about it!!! 🙂
Fall to me means crisp chilly mornings with both hands wrapped around a hot mug of apple cider with the sun peeking up over the horizon with beautiful shades of red to match the beautiful red and orange leaves that come whirling swirling down to the ground surronding me as I sit on my back screened-in porch…beautiful “rainfall”! Big orange pumpkins, cookies baking in the oven, big wooly sweaters….and I love pulling out all of my autumn decor with pumpkin scented candles burning all thru the house! I love throwing the windows wide open after being closed up all summer bec of the heat! Love watching the curtains blowing in the breeze! Love carving jack-o-lanterns with my granddaughters as we munch on popcorn! So much to love!!!
When I was growing up in Superior, Wisconsin, autumn was my very favorite season. Back then, we raked leaves and burned them. All the senses were engaged–the colors of the oak, maple and elm leaves; their crunch in the large piles on the ground; the musty, earthy aromas as they burned; and then inside for cocoa with marsh mellows! Autumn here in Southern California is not quite the same, but the fog does roll in from the ocean and we turn on the gas fireplace. For fall color, all we have to do is take a road trip to the mountains.
You have it all! Plus, there’s Yosemite in case of emergency!
My favorite thing about fall is my birthday!
Happy Birthday Elaine!!!
What I love most about fall is that it feels like a warm toasty comforter enveloping me with it’s beautiful colors, smells and flavors. My grandmother was born on Halloween and when she was alive I would get those same feelings when I was around her.
Nice!
I absolutely love the red, yellow, orange and gold colors of the foliage in upstate New York…..going to our cottage in the Thousands Islands this weekend and can’t wait to see the blaze of color up there! I love your blog, Susan, and even though I have one chance in a thousand of winning your generous giveaway, I am happy to be part of this…
That’s so great . . . it’s been very wonderful to hear from everyone!
I love home football games at the high school, two blocks away. My kids’ friends all stop by for molasses cookies and hot apple cider on their way to cheer on the team!
I love Fall here in Mississippi!!! It is my most favorite season. After such a HOT summer, it sure feels good to have to wear a sweater and take a walk and crunch throw the leaves and feel and hear the breeze in the trees. I love to see all the pumpkins and scarecrows on the front porches. I can’t wait to decorate our new (well, new to us) cottage. We are finally feeling like we are home after several moves the past couple of years. I have my fall wreath on the front door and am in the process of painting my old double rocker and a fall pillow sits on it on the front porch. I am trying to wait until this Saturday, the 1st day of October to decorate for Halloween. We like to decorate with a vintage feel and I always have a Halloween Tree with reproductions of vintage Halloween postcards hanging on its branches.
I also love candy corn, especially when I make a harvest mix of candy corn, roasted peanuts and M&M’s – Yummy!! I also love drinking hot chocolate and making soups with cornbread. And sweet potatoes are such a treat fresh from the oven.
And of course plans are already underway for Trick-or-Treat costumes for my boys!!
And I am also so excited about being able to sit outside in my swing in the evening with my sweetie huddled under a quilt. So you see, Susan, that beautiful quilt would be very loved here at our cottage 🙂
Enjoy your Fall everyone!!
Blessings,
Robin
Another perfect home for this quilt!!!
So much to love about fall! The only thing I HATE is that it’s too short! One of the best things I love about fall is the crispness in the air, watching my son play football, snuggled under the blanket I bring with (and sipping hot chocolate I may have smuggled in!)
Ahhh Fall! My favorite time of year. I love the smells, the rain ( I live in the pacific northwest, I have to love the rain!!!),the leaves changing color, and most of all the feel in my home all warm, snuggly with my candles going and wonderful coziness. Pumpkins on my porch, and the rustling of the leaves. I could go on and on!!!
Happy Fall y/All from SW Florida! It may not seem like fall out of doors with temperatures in the 90’s, however, our home is filled with pumpkins, gourds, Indian corn and bittersweet. Love that bittersweet… “imported” from Ohio! This weekend, we will be adding some Halloween sweetness, too. And… it would not be fall without college football… GO BUCKEYES!
BTW Susan… thank you for posing in so many photos with my dear friends (Debbie & Barb) at the Creative Connection. I’m not ashamed to tell you that I was green w/envy! 🙂
You were missed!!
Fall in Hawaii is marked by tiny little changes to the rhythm of our sunny days. I watch for the return of the migrating plovers and wait for one to claim our front yard as its winter home. We eat the last of the summer mango and lychee fruits. I feel the warmth of the sun peak before the start of our rainy season. And at night, when the cool tradewinds rustle the palm fronds outside my window, I check on my two sleeping children and remember what it was like to be a little girl at the beginning of a brand new school year. That is what I like best about fall on this “other” little island!
Dear Susan,
I am not sure how to enter this wonderful contest/giveaway, but I am going to try this way. I love your blogs and everything about you!
This is my favorite thing about the fall season. I love the colorful fall leaves that pop out, show their beauty and then fly, flutter, and fall to the ground. But recently in the past few years, our family has had some special fun with these beautiful fall leaves. My son has a cat named Juicy that he saved as a starving baby kitty. She is a very special cat who gathers leaves and twigs! She goes around the neighborhood getting leaves in her mouth and then bringing the leaves home, up the stairs to his apartment’s front door. Juicy lays the leaves down and then gives a strange little meow from deep in her throat, as if she is trying to tell him something–like thank you or I love you and these are your gifts! After several years of doing this gathering of leaves and twigs, sometimes she brings in a small branch laden with leaves, the neighbors and family members get ready to watch Juicy, the cat, in fall. One day one of the new neighbors asked my son, is that your cat that gathers all those leaves and brings them to you in her mouth? The neighbor said, “I have been watching her several days and several hours, and I just can’t get over it!” My son laughed and told him, “Yes that’s our cat, and I have no idea how this talent emerged!” They laughed together and watched a while longer. Our family goes over each fall season and watches her while she is very, very serious about her work. Fall is a beautiful time filled with color, special foods, changes, and the hard work of Juicy, the cat!
Love from, Marion Powell
Westminster, California
Juicy looks like fun, if not a little crazy! Thank you Marion, this was the way to enter the drawing!
Anything pumpkin. Anything apple. Soup. Slippers. Candles and quilts. My birthday. Falling leaves. School buses on the road. Bouquets of newly sharpened pencils (thank you, “You’ve Got Mail”). Oh, and the street carnival scene in the same movie.
“You’ve Got Mail” is my favorite movie to watch during the fall/winter months. My husband and I can practically recite the lines to each other!
F-O-X.
So cute!
There are so many things to love about Fall! The color orange in the form of mums, pumpkins and turning leaves are some of my favorites. I love simmering stews and tasty treats coming out of the oven. My wedding anniversary, Thanksgiving, sleeping late on the weekend and being brought a cup of hot coffee by my wonderful husband. I could go on, Fall is just the best of the seasons.
I think my favorite part about fall is just the fact that it’s time to come in, hunker down and get cozy! The garden is in, food is put up, and I feel warm, safe and secure!!! I get out all of my cozy, flannel quilts, put away the summer clothes and bring out the sweaters. Light the pumpkin candles, listen to sweet music and watch dear movies!! Picking apples, making pumpkin and other yummy soups and homemade breads add to the gloriousness of warm days and crisp nights! The beauty of mums and fall leaves…heaven!!! And pies…lots of pies, crisps and cobblers!! Fall is simply the best!
I wanted to read all the comments, but you see the problem with that! You’re a magnet for goodness, Sue.
If I’m going to list just one favorite thing about fall, it will have to be the days of perfect weather, those days when the air is cool, the sun is warm, and the light looks like it’s shining straight from heaven. When those things come together in just the right way, it doesn’t get any better! xoxo
My big old Wolf range heats up the whole house and it can be a nightmare in summer. But in fall the heat is cozy, and I love to sit at my desk in the kitchen while I’m baking bread or cooking up a hearty stew.
Starting with my birthday on September 20….not quite but almost fall :)….this is the season of gratitude, my favorite time. Birthday celebration at Pinecrest Lake in CA on the first fall weekend, the air holds the promise of cozy cooler weather even as the sun shines brightly through the trees. Boating on the lake, we see cabins being closed up for the winter, shutters closed….docks and boats pulled out of the water and less people on the beach…..a quiet goodbye to summer. Looking forward to a week at our trailer in Pismo Beach in perfect fall weather, with a trip to Avila Beach Barn for pumpkins and pies:)
My neighbor, Sandy and I, (my girlfriend too) love your blogs and are Susan Branch groupies and have been since your first book! Today we were talking about what we love about Autumn and Sandy said ” I love our Berkshire Mountains – they remind me of a patchwork quilt during foliage season.” We were thrilled when you said you went through the Berkshires on your train ride. Have you ever been here in the Autumn? My fall garden is not the most beautiful at this time but it is my favorite time to enjoy it without any labor – just contemplation! Think of us when you go through the Berkshires… you have so many fans here! xo
p.s. we love theVineyard and visit most summers and that is where we learned all about you 🙂
Funny, we were just talking about maybe, if we could, get off the train in Albany and drive the rest of the way, just so we could go through the Berkshires! It’s going to be the perfect time. We have to see how our Kitty sitter would feel about 4 more days !
Well , we happen to know a sweet little B&B in Lee, (my little Crabtree Cottage) that would welcome you with open arms. I know you would love the breakfasts… popovers (our house speciality) and numerous other inspirations from your cookbooks are part of the daily menu:) ~ a warm cozy fire in the parlor ~ even little pumpkins on the porch ledge to welcome you!
Verrrry attractive! 🙂
I love the spicy woody smell at night when I take the trash down to the dumpster and the orange pumpkins peeping out at me through the vines in the pumpkin patch.
i love the sun shiny days and the cool nights. mums and the changing colors of the leaves. the last of the tomatoes and the first of the acorn squash.
It’s hard to choose one favorite thing about fall. One of my favorites is having hot dog roasts outside, with apple cider and s’mores, too. But the best part is going on a hayride after we’ve eaten.
The earth turns and the seasons come and go. Fall is a promise of rebirth. The colors of the leaves transitioning as they die are a promise of a renaissance. A renaissance that will lie dormant as the earth winters but will emerge, almost overnight, with the next spring.
Every year the weathe rshifts, the air cools and leaves begin to turn, hinting at the explosion of color and beauty to come. The leaes cascade down down as brilliant in color as those molting off a dying pheonix. We know it will be reborn in more beauty than ever before. The aroma everytime a boot crunches on a carpet of colorful leaves intoxicates and invigorates.
Hearty meals begin to appear on weekly menus all over the world. New levels of my relationship with my Crock Pot will be explored as the chill in the air inspires experiments in the kitchen. Experiments that will tantilize my tastebuds and warm my belly.
The ritual of unpacking the stored away sweaters gives the comfort of normalcy and routine. The feel of wrapping a warm sweater around my shoulders beings reassurance and comfort despite the trying times experienced by the economic world.
A new excitement also vibrates in the air as surely as the wind begins to nip my nose. The excitement of anticipated holiday celebrations begins to stir feelings of gratitude, kindness, and charity.
Fall is the best time to enjoy all things in life and is a good reminder to be aware of the world around us. I love that Fall makes people want to help each other when there isn’t a great catastrophy. It brings out a lot of good in humanity with the promise of another chance the following year.
Happy Fall Days!!!
(sorry for the novel. fall is inspiring.)
Don’t worry, the subject is clearly a BIG one!
Fall is the beginning of Christmas in my life, in my mind. I listen to Christmas Carols all year but I feel it is OK to let people know that’s what I’m listening to in the Fall. It is much harder to explain my ipod playlists in the Spring – say around Easter. I love Fall because I’m not so weird then. AND, Christmas is coming!
“I love fall because I’m not so weird then”– LOL
SB -I feel like I’m already the winner! I have printed this out portion of the blog comments with your “LOL” and put it into my fav SB book -Girlfriends! -As a memento (I bet you thought I was gonna say “Autumn” or “Heart of Christmas”. Nope. I listen to Xmas tunes even when I read your Summer book…)
Too cute! Joe could live with you! Except, of course, he wouldn’t be allowed to!
You are right! I’m pretty sure my hubby would not allow that. (*big grin*) ((just so you know -now I’ve printed this bit out AGAIN!))
LOL, we are so funny!
Hey “Girlfriends”….I think this nurse is getting carpal tunnel syndrome from clicking the arrow down key on my keyboard to get the next post, this blog is just sooooo good! I can see it now can’t you….. It’s late tonight….all the lights are out…Susan’s in bed next to Joe but she has the blankets over her head and she’s got the computer under the covers with her…she is reading away with a big smile on her face, thinking…..this is just sooooooo great! Don’t ya just feel like a little kid having all this fun with the “Girlfriends”? I DO! I’ll put money on it that Susan goes to bed with the computer tonight! Hahaha! And I would do the samething if I were her! <3 FOSB 4~Ever! ~ Doreen ~
You don’t know how close you are! 🙂
I live for autumn! Every day is spiced with a new and different sort of magic! Here in Nebraska, the season looks a bit different from my east-coast homeland, but it’s still amazing and my most treasured time of year! My skin tingles with delight at the first turning of leaves and the perfume of distant bonfires. The symphonies in the wind are joined by the farewell chorus of mirgrating birds and it’s times like these I feel as if I, too, could fly! The fields and orchards smell sweet and lay in serene slumps of copper and gold across the farmlands. Nights are pinned with the brightest, whitest stars, and fog creeps in and out with beautiful, yet eerie secrets. This is the poetical magic of autumn. I also love the whimsical magic of autumn! The caravans of turkeys in the underbrush (looking solemn, of course), the smiling scarecrows and gap-toothed jack-o-lanterns winking from windows and front porches make me feel like a wide-eyed six-year old! I love the gentle, warm “hug” of a homemade scarf and am always ready for apple cider by a crackling, friendly fireplace. Of course, my most wonderful autumn occurred six years ago, when my husband-to-be looked down at me in the October moonlight and realized I was the girl he wanted to marry! Yes…autumn has always been quite magical!
all of those, how can one choose?…plus the cool crispness that the air gets and breathing it in, feeling like it’s cleansing out the cobwebs inside, and smells so fresh…
I love everything about the fall. Sweaters, soup, pumpkin pie and apple crisp plus there is nothing like walk through the leaves. I noticed today that the leaves are changing color here in Toledo, OH and I was so happy. Whenever I see a stand of trees in their autumn colors I always wish I had a sofa that looked just like those trees in all their splendor. Thanks again for your wonderful blog I look so forward to hearing from you and all the comments. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Janet!
Fall is my favorite time of the year. Pumpkins, leaves, quilts, cinnamon, baking pumkin bread, Halloween, trick or treating, candy, costumes I could go on and on. I love decorating the house with all things fall; and by the looks of all of the orange bins in our garage, I need to do some purging. We’ve run out of room with my obsession of faux pumpkins!!!
My favorite thing about fall is everything! My anniversary is in September and that’s pretty special, too!
Longing for fall and the freshness in the air however here in Coarsegold it is still 90 degrees! The waterfalls in Yosemite are still cascading and the leaves are not falling yet so FAll will be a cup of tea and pumpkin scones in a wishful dream.
I love the cooler weather, and walking through piles of colored fall leaves. In Texas, it doesn’t look like we will be having a Fall this year. We’re still having summer temperatures, 100 degrees or more almost each day!
What I love about fall is the change in the air, the crispness that I sense. Even if the temperatures are still warm during the day, there is that feeling of a new season coming on. When the leaves start changing colors to red, orange and gold and you wade through them with your arm linked with your lover or a child or a friend. There is a special delight in the laughter that can only be felt on an autumn afternoon. I love fall in the red of apples make into a fresh baked pie, the orange of pumpkin decorations all around and then the wonderful first fire in the fire place. Fall is love and comfort and happiness to me!
I love just about everything about fall! The food, the decorations, the colors, and the fact that we finally get a break from the horrible hot Georgia summer! It’s always been my favorite season!
I love fall best, the color, the smells, the sound of the leaves. The richness of the fields right before the last harvest, the fat and happy horses and cows before winter puts the fur on. Tea goes from iced to hot with cream. I love the warm sunny days and much cooler nights so I can get out my down duvet and fuzzy slippers and still sit on the porch. I love being bundled up, wool sweaters and layers and fall means thats coming. I love the doing gets smaller in scope, more inside, contained and not as frentic as not to waste the summer days. Im a fall person.
Pumpkins. That has to be my favorite, and it is even more special because two of my three sons was born in October. The year my first son was born, the hickory tree in the neighbor’s yard (which I could see from my new baby’s window as I rocked him) was the most brilliant yellow I have ever seen. The year my second son was born, my neighbor had bought pots of beautiful mums and put them on my front porch, and my wonderful mother-in- law had come and cleaned the house up and had a basket of tiny gourds on the kitchen table. It was such a special welcome home! Many special October memories 🙂
Fall is when my dearest friend and I first realized we were in love….walking down a leafy arched trail in the words always reminds me of the excitement of those heady days……we’ve been married 10 years now, and we always bless the autumn of our coming together!
Without a doubt, my favorite thing is pumpkin pie! Connie Jane
I love the colors of the leaves as they change & the pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks!
My favorite thing about fall is breathing in the crisp cool air. I live in a Southwest desert community where the summers get up to 118˚ and sometimes more, so cool air is a blessing. Susan Thank-you for sharing your life with us I enjoying reading your blog and hearing about your travels.
Blessings to you and Joe,
Susan Beach
Thank you Susan!
I live in Southern California so it’s hard to find Fall. But what I do love is all the colors. They just make you feel good. I am so drawn to any magazine with Fall leaves and Fall activites. My dream is to see New England in the fall. But until then it is just gazing at pumpkins , fall photos and anything else I can find that is fall. It is my favorite time of the year.
Hi!! 🙂 Well, since I’m born & raised in South Florida, I have to make my own Autumn, Fall & “change of seasons”. Autumn/Fall is my favorite. It’s so warm, cozy & warm fuzzies just fly all around to *kiss* you on the cheek. Since I have to create my own Autumn feel, I decorate with Autumn leaves & pumpkins. Also, warm cinnamon, pumpkin & ginger spice candles. Autumn colored berries, wreaths & decorations that color my little corner of the world as I bake apple pies. The smell of my apple pies baking remind me that I can have the little, special things of Autumn hug me so tight, even though I live in Florida. The beautiful palm trees can still wave to me in the breeze, as my Autumn decorations & I wave right back 🙂 Decorating for Autumn is also special for 2 more reasons: 1. Decorating for Autumn is one of my mother’s favorite things, ever…. AND …. 2. I just had my first child 11 weeks ago, so this holiday season will be even more special with my new son in the Autumn hug. I would LOVE to cuddle with him in that beautiful quilt. <3 xoxo, Cindy * 🙂
11 Weeks old! Congratulations!
Thanks!! 🙂 xo
Like everyone else, I love the display of fall colors everywhere, the leaves crunching under my feet, and the smells of fall favorites like home made soup (any kind!) and apple hand pies. But what I really love is when I wake up early (always) and it’s stormy out. I sit with my morning cup of tea and watch as the wind whips through the many trees on my property and the branches sway and the leaves let go and swirl and whip around. (Maybe it will be gloomy all day and maybe there will be a classic horror tale on TV like Rebecca or even Dracula and of course, that means a bowl of popcorn is in order.) It seems that, where I live, once you get that one good rainstorm, it all changes. The leaves come down fast, the air stays cool and before you know it, you’re planning Thanksgiving dinner and holiday shopping trips. In Autumn, one happy thing just leads right into another. It’s the season I wish I could live in year round.
PS…goodness Sue, it took me hours and hours to be able to get on here. You must have had a long line of girlfriends waiting to share their thoughts. How wonderful!!
I’m very fortunate to live in the upper Sacramento Valley, land of fruit, nuts, rice and honey! Fall is my favorite season because the Sacramento river takes on a different smell, and the trees turn to all colors. I love looking down my little town’s straight streets and marveling in the autumnal colors of the Chinese pistache trees, the sycamores, the Raywood ashes, the fruitless mulberries….Like you, I love it when there is a strong breeze and the leaves cartwheel across the street, but especially if that breeze “floats” my leaves out of my yard! I love the slowing down of the season, the “snuggle down” in my favorite chair with my cup of tea enhanced with hazelnut creme, the decorating of the front porches for the upcoming seasons and the hanging of my pheasant feather (cape) wreath. Most of all, its the time for family and friends…
Fall is my favorite time of year. Love the way nature has of putting everything to sleep in such a beautiful way. She turns on the chill and floods the earth with the most beautiful shades and tones of my favorite colors. Soon I know white snow will replace all the color here in the midwest, but I know mature will be back again with her spring paint cans.
This may sound a bit silly but in the Fall I love going into the stores and smelling the leather from the pocketbooks since they come out then and the summer fabric purses are put away. Also, I love seeing clothes in plaids which reminds me of when I was a little girl and we always wore plaids in the Fall……little skirts and jumpers……..so very cute!
Fall is the start of a new year for me! There are only five things that I absolutely love about fall: the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and feel of fall!!! Yup, that should about cover it! The only thing I don’t like about it, is that it doesn’t last long enough! Right now, the days are absolutely beautiful here in Nebraska – almost perfect! The air is cooler, the leaves are changing colors, the apple and pumpkin and soup recipes are coming out of the box. Quilting projects are getting finished (and new ones started). Life doesn’t get much better than that! Thanks for the chance to win! HUGS… and stitches
Although I love all seasons for all the right reasons, I especially like Autumn. And isn’t that a beautiful word! Autumn. How it creates a hum at the end. Like the hum of the bees quickly gathering the last of the nectar in the last of the summer blossoms. Nature showers us with all her glorious color as she bids goodbye to a lush and brilliant summer. The scents wafting from the kitchen are the most delightful in the fall. Cooking fruits’ sweet smell along with the most sensual spices fill the air. Watching the birds at the feeders as they pass through to their winter homes in the South.
And reading another Willard!
There’s so much to love about Fall! I love misty mornings, the cool crisp air – especially with a hint of woodsmoke, apples and pumpkins, colorful leaves and heading back inside to cook and bake. Fall is also the time when I bring out all my quilts and cozy throws, lots of books and start lighting candles in the evening. My only complaint is that it doesn’t last long enough! 🙂
1320 comments, SB. See how much we love you! I agree with the lovely lady who said, “… you are a magnet for goodness!” I was going to type something like “Shine on, you crazy diamond.” But I like her thoughts better. Its like hearing the sound of applause through the computer and no one deserves it more. I’ve been such a fan for years. Thanks, SB.
I really do love the “shine on you crazy diamond” thought! Thank you so much Andrea!
Favorite things are the start of soup making season (not quite here yet where I live) and preparing waxed rose hips for autumn decorations and bouquets. Thank you for sponsoring this giveaway. I am a long time admirer of your creativity
and am loving your new blog. Marie
Thank you Marie!
Autumn means I can keep the family loved and cosy, safe and warm, forgetting that they are in their twenties but remembering when they were younger and I could keep them close.
I love walking on the beach looking for treasures since the tourists have gone back to their homes. Dogs can now play freely on the beach and we can relax and enjoy.
I’m sure it’s nice to get your home “back,” isn’t it? 🙂
What I love most about the fall is that I spend lots of time with my family. Between birthdays and Halloween, there is always something going on. I love the cooler weather that’s perfect for sleeping and the changing of the leaves. It never lasts long enough here in NY
I love fall because I feel like I’m starring in a Masterpiece Theatre episode where my plaids and loafers would set me in a English boarding school probably involved in a murder mystery scene.
Here in Italy right now and it does not feel like fall…more like summer. I’ll be home to California in a few days and the weather man says, “rain.” I love the way the grass smells after a first of Fall rain.
Autumn has traditionally been a time of thanksgiving (Oct. here in Canada!) and healing as I bring my activities indoors, baking, cleaning, creating, entertaining and sitting with a good book by the fireside. This year is especially a time for thanksgiving and healing as our family celebrates the life of our little granddaughter, born last Dec. Every day of life is a miracle for her as she struggles with adequate oxygen levels due to her heart condition. This fall she will undergo open heart surgery in an attempt to repair her damaged little heart and so we are especially thankful for her life and pray with all our hearts for her complete healing through the capable hands of her pediatric cardiology surgeon and his team. She has had the summer to grow stronger in the sunshine and outdoors and has passed the 11 lb weight requirement and is ready for this next step. Thanksgiving and healing! Yes, it’s the perfect season for both!
Wishing you and yours every good thing, best wishes this fall!
Thank you. Our granddaughter will receive a handmade quilt from a generous group of ladies called the Pumpkin Seeds who make each child/patient at Children’s Hospitcal a quilt of their very own. It will be on her bed when she comes out of surgery and she gets to take it home with her! It’s a lovely bit of comfort for us all! Giving away a quilt is a special way of blessing others and I know whomever receives yours will cherish it!
Wishing you all the best!
I love fall because I feel like I’m in an episode of Masterpiece Theatre when I wear my plaids and loafers. At an English boarding school probably involved in a murder mystery.
Probably? 🙂
fall is always the beginning of the year for me, because my birthday is on October the 13. it is always wonderful when it is a fri. especially! the beautiful leaves and the smell of wood fires is always a welcome treat. although this one is going to be a toughy. being born in 1951 it will be my 60th! hope the next 60 are as filled with wonderful experiences as the first. love you susan
Happy Birthday Susan!
I love fall afternoons with a campfire and being wrapped up in a blanket with some hot apple cider or hot chocolate. A big bowl of chili with alllllll the fixins’ and staying there with the fire cracklin’ and the day turning into night. This year fall is very special. Any day now I will be blessed with a grand-daughter. I am so happy!!
Congratulations Amy!!
I love how even though I live in Southern California, the leaves change colors. Sometimes there is such a range of colors from magenta, brilliant red, yellow, amber, orange and hues in between. I also love that my beautiful daughter and grandaughter were born in the Fall!!
Living in Upstate New York has always been great, especially during the fall season. Leaves are turning beautiful colors, apples are being picked, cider and cinnamon sticks are brewing on the stove, and my favorite soups are simmering on the back burner.
My comfy old sweaters and quilts are being pulled from the attic. Birthdays and Anniversaries are being celebrated during the months of October and November. My parents will be celebrating their 63rd year together on November 24th. How time does fly when you are having fun!
What great memories and celebrations occur when Fall comes to greet us!!
Susan,
Fall is so neat with its vibrant colors ablaze on the mountains surrounding my house, the cool breezes, the smell of firewood reminiscent of going camping and sitting around a campfire, cozy sweaters and comfortable quilts and blankets. fires in my kitchen stove, and my favorite food – pumpkin! My husband doesn’t like pumpkin but I keep working on him. I really enjoy so many things to eat this time of the year but especially anything with pumpkin …pumpkin latte, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin butter, pumpkin muffins, baked pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin bread and the list goes on. Your Autumn cookbook is totally awesome. Autumn is such a special time with God preparing us to slow down and get ready for winter. Thank you for you blog. It has been such a joy to read daily. I have a girlfriend in another town in our valley and we read and talk about all the things you share via email. Such fun! Happy Autumn.
I love the brisk feeling in the air and having my afternoon cup of hot chocolate! The house feels cozy and the light outside is golden.
xo
Claudia
Is that the Wisconsin quilt? I think it needs to stay in it’s home state!
What do I like about fall, besides the fact that it is my favorite season! I love it when the leaves “rain” from a tree. One of my old cats used to love to be outside and pounce on the leaves as they fell. I hope my new kittens learn to love the outdoors like he did! The warmer days and cool nights are wonderful, the best of both worlds.