Welcome Fall!

It seems as if fall is here to stay and I'm kicking it off with the season's first pot of Taco Soup! The cool, damp, breezy day just seems to call for this warm, hearty fare. The day would be pretty darn close to perfect if it did not include a trip into town, but I don't think the 'woe is me' attitude will get me out of it. However, all is well because I am ready to welcome the change in seasons. Unlike my dear friend, who has been celebrating fall since June and is now probably ready to herald in Christmas (just kidding L!), I am just now breaking out the candles and the fall wreath (which is my only fall decoration). Don't hyperventilate L - I'll make a quick trip to Hobby Lobby and scout out the clearance aisle. Did you leave me anything to choose from?

There is something very comforting about the arrival of fall. I love the crisp nip in the air first thing in the morning. I sigh deeply as I pull up the flannel quilt from the bottom of the bed and breath in the cool night air that drifts from the open windows before dawn. The smell of fresh baked apple oatmeal beckons to me from the warm kitchen, and convinces me to leave the comfort of my bed. I love pulling out the old, soft flannel shirt that was once DH's, but that I confiscated years ago. Yep, no doubt about it, I LOVE Autumn.

This morning I raced the gravel trucks back to the house - they beat me. We were having 3 loads delivered to spread here at headquarters plus 1 load of base. So in between working with the colts, the gravel was dumped and now DH is spending the remainder of his morning on the tractor, distributing the piles between the barn and the house. The recent rains have washed away what's left of the last gravel and now things get down right sloppy when we get a shower.

The rains have been a huge blessing. Even if we do get the wet, cold winter I've been hearing we're in for, we shouldn't have to spend all of our time feeding. The pastures are thick with waving grass and we're in excellent shape for winter. However, I hope we're in for a good, long fall before winter steps in.

I was all ready to expound on our newest home improvement this morning, but I got so excited about welcoming autumn that I lost my train of thought. Come to think of it, that happens on a regular basis. So home improvement, episode 1, will have to wait for another day.

As for now, my trip to town is on the front burner. My list is long - sigh, but the thought that I will have 7 days at home after today comforts me. The only reason I want to leave the dirt road this next week is if a possible trip to a quilt store might be in the works.

I always thought that the cooler temps of fall felt like quilting weather, but I never quilted. However, if I get the top of my first quilt finished in the next few days, I will be able to quilt during quilting weather! I've never even made a quilt and here I am with a long list of projects I want to quilt. M, I think you just may have created a monster.

Any takers on that quilting trip?!