Did you feel it? Last week, when the breeze shifted and the light changed, and the air was scented with the first, the very earliest, hints of fall.
The best part of being a country dweller is the easy access to the outdoors. I spend a lot of time observing things. From the glistening diamonds on the snow, the tiny shoots in spring, the lazy drifting clouds of summer, to the first time you hear the scuttle of dry leaves swirling across the driveway. It all signals something in me.
For many people, Autumn is the real new year. Kids going back to school, routines being re-established, summer being tidied away. I embrace it for all It’s worth.
Today it’s four months until Christmas. I feel my brain shifting into a different mode. I’m thinking about baking, and what kinds of soups I’ll make. I’m writing lists (in truth I’m ALWAYS writing lists). Sometimes I feel like a squirrel running around with a chestnut looking for the best place to hide it, making my winter preparations. Also like a squirrel, I will forget where I have hidden that chestnut and be totally surprised when a tree pops up in the herb bed in the spring.
But it is still very early, the late-summer weather is perfect right now, lovely warm sunny days and cool good sleep nights, so it’s not quite time to bundle up in cozy sweaters and thick socks. So here are my tips for getting that early autumn feeling without breaking a sweat.
Candles
Yep, I love me some scented candles. My favourites are anything mulled cider, or Balsam. Spicy – not sweet. Candles bring the scent of autumn to you long before the leaves change. And they can add a warm glow to the long slow darkening evenings at this time of year.
Fall Mums
Most grocery stores and greenhouses are full of fall mums right now. I love them for their great autumn colours and multiple blooms. I have already switched my summer porch planter up for a lovely burgundy mum. I’ll add to the display as other things become available, pumpkins, leaves and twigs. Doing it one or two things at a time is easier and less of a hit on the wallet too.
Transition Clothes
While it is too early for woolly sweaters, I can sneak some layers into my wardrobe. I’m opting for a sleeveless tank today topped with a denim long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up over ankle jeans. The other night I went for a new top in autumn golds and browns paired with olive green trousers and sandals. In a few weeks, these will be worn with socks, boots and a cardigan, but for August they were perfect for an evening concert with a light windbreaker for after dark.
These may seem like little things, or that I’m silly for even thinking about fall already, but they help me slide from one season into the next, and now I’m going to read fall recipes and dream of pumpkin pie.
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