Happy October, Sunday Letter friends!
To quote Dr. Seuss—How did it get so late so soon? Doesn’t that about sum it up?
Remember how the school year used to last forever when you were a kid? My sister and I could make our Halloween haul last until Santa put chocolate candy in our stockings, and summer felt like a geological era away.
Oh, those days are long gone. We’ve blinked and suddenly October is here, and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is one year shy of being 60 years old! (It debuted October 27, 1966.)
It’s not just our imagination. The reason time seems to pass more quickly as we age is partly a math problem. When you’re five, a single year is 20% of your life. That’s huge. When you’re sixty-three, a year is only 1.58%. That’s nothing.
It’s also about novelty. As kids, everything is brand spanking new—first bike, first crush, first time you drove a car. According to Psychology Today, time seemed slower back then because our brains were busy processing new things and paying attention. As adults, we get into routines, you know, making coffee, unloading the dishwasher, walking the dogs, and so on. New experiences not only slow down drastically, but our perception becomes less vivid. Ugh. Enough about that.
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My Fall Bucket List
One of my favorite ways to celebrate the season is with a fall bucket list. A fall bucket list gives us little adventures and traditions to look forward to before winter sets in. And since we’ve already discussed the speed at which our days are passing, we all realize winter will be here way too soon!
In reality, my fall bucket list is really just an ordinary to-do list with a little autumn spice mixed in. It consists of things I’m already planning to do. The thing is if I don’t make a list, I’ll forget said things, and suddenly we’ll be making snow cream and wondering what happened to fall.
Here’s my list:
- Decorate my porch for the season — Once upon a time I was much better at seasonal decorating, but each change seems to sneak up on me now, and I feel like I’m always playing catchup. We just do the best we can, right?
- Attend a local fall festival and eat a corndog — Gosh, one of the things I miss about living is Dallas is attending the State Fair of Texas each fall. Maybe I’ll find time to go this year, or maybe I’ll just walk a few blocks and attend the Fayetteville Falltoberfest this afternoon. (Probably the latter.)
- Create Leaf Art — This is a fun and easy thing to do, especially when the sidewalks are deep with brilliantly colored leaves and dog walks are a twice-daily thing.
- Try a new fall recipe — We’ve been stuck in a food rut, and fall is the perfect time to try some new recipes. (Recommendations anyone?)
- Fall Lake Trip — We spend a week at Norfork each summer, but my sister and I are going again soon. Fall color in the Ozarks = magic!
- Watch You’ve Got Mail — It’s tradition for me. “Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies.”
- Fire Pit Night — What could be better than sitting around the fire pit on a chilly night, while eating fire pit popcorn?
Do you have a fall bucket list?
The Sweetest Part of Being an Author
I’ve learned a lot since I left my “real job” and began writing, but the thing I’m focusing on today is the sweetest lesson of all. When I am invited to speak at a book club, the host will likely serve whichever desserts are mentioned in the book we are discussing. It took me a while to really zero in on this.
I really really don’t want to seem ungrateful, but the truth is the possum pie included in Bernice Runs Away is not my favorite. Ha.
Of course, I still pinch myself any time a book club chooses one of my books, and if I am invited to your meeting, you better believe I will be over the moon with an Oreo cookie (or no dessert at all). My Momma raised me right, and I’m not a picky eater. Nevertheless, I made sure the desserts included in The Third Act of Theo Gruene—cherry pie and raspberry shortbread cookies—are those I could eat day after day after day.
And my next book, whatever that may be, will 100% include lemon pie.
I may be the only author who plans the desserts for the next book before I even know what the next book will be.
Cherry Hand Pies for a Sweet Win!
Speaking of cherry pie, I whipped up a batch of Ivy’s cherry hand pies a few days ago.
FYI—Ivy is Penelope’s mom and a main character in The Third Act. Baking is a hobby for her, probably therapy really, and as Penelope puts it to Theo, “I’ll warn you now, you’ll probably lose your mind when you taste her cherry pie. My mom is the best baker in the whole wide world.”
I don’t know if you will lose your head over my pies, but they were delicious and very easy to make. Basically pre-made pie crust and cherry pie filling.
The recipe I followed is from My Baking Addiction.
** For those paying attention, this satisfies #4 on my Fall Bucket List (although I still want to make a new savory dish).
I’ve Never Met a Pumpkin I Didn’t Like
It makes me so happy to see pumpkins for sale outside every grocery store and garden center this time of year. Like snowflakes (also a happy thing), no two are the same.
I’ve never met a pumpkin I didn’t like, but since I can’t bring them all home, I often choose mine based on the stem.
And now that we bought a few and arranged them on our porch steps, I am really feeling the nostalgia of fall.
**For those paying attention, this satisfies #1 on my Fall Bucket List.
P.S. There is nothing wrong with adding something to your bucket list and then immediately checking it off. Ha!
Things Momma Says:
Even when I am sick, I can still eat.
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I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s Sunday Letter. In closing, I would love to know how you are celebrating October so far.
Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.
Loved this Sunday Letter – makes me so ready for Fall! “You’ve Got Mail” is my favorite movie and I watch it every Fall. I also watch Gilmore Girls beginning in the fall and through the winter (Lorelai can smell the snow coming and I can also – a talent most people don’t believe or appreciate, LOL So this covers 2 seasons). I always bake Fresh Apple Cake when it first starts to feel like Fall, but I can’t wait to try the Cherry Hand Pies.
Tell your mama that nothing much spoils my appetite either!
When you come to LR to talk to a little group of women who pass around your books, I’ll make the fried cherry hand pies!
I’ve decorated inside with leaves and pumpkins, etc. and bought mums for the deck but need to corral Terry for the pumpkin hunt—I can’t lift the big ones anymore, said the person whose days are flying off the calendar!
I think that I have 2 more fresh apple cakes left to bake. I left my favorite neighbor’s cake on the front of their car as they had gone to the state fair and the daughters were napping and did not answer the door. Last 2 will be baked tomorrow. Whew!! Kinda sad when it is all done !!