Week 41: ME & Fall (Member Photos)
Jenny Parker - I love fall. I'm crazy about getting to wear a light sweater after the blazing Tennessee summer (although it's still really warm right now, sweater season is indeed coming...I hope!). I love pumpkin lattes and walking through sidewalks full of fallen leaves. I love pumpkins and jack-o-lantern carving. My dad used to carve the most elaborate jack-o-lanterns when my sisters and I were little. There is nothing like the feel of pumpkin guts squishing in between your fingers. My little man and I are going to carve the real thing next weekend, so for now, the fake ones will do!
Vivien Stembridge - Autumn is my favorite season. Cooler temperatures, beautiful foliage, snuggling under blankets, drinking hot drinks- the list goes on. And my favorite holidays! I've been crazy busy with life. Insanely busy. Today I had just a few minutes to take a stab at the idea I had for this picture. Well, it didn't turn out at all how I'd planned. I had this vision of the kids running around me, throwing leaves, while I sat in the middle, enjoying the seasonal foliage floating around me. My kids had other plans and so this was the best I could come up with. It's rather funny, actually.
Adriana Meixner - Fall is my favourite season, hands down. The crisp morning air, the warm tones as the leaves on the trees start to change colors, the crunching under my feet signalling winter is not too far away and the race to do as many outdoor activities as possible before the cold hibernates us all is what makes me completely nostalgic. www.adrianameixner.com
Jennifer L. Bruce - Fall has actually come and gone where I live, but the sunlight is lingering. The golden grass is a nice stand-in for the long-gone leaves. The snow is late - but I don't mind. I'm taking advantage of these last moments to walk through the woods unencumbered. In my town, winter is brutal. The daylight hours slip away faster and faster. Fall marks the coming of cold and what I call The Big Dark, that time where you see the sun rise after breakfast and set after lunch. This Fall has been a difficult one for me. My husband is away for three months, and in that time I've been sick continuously. The medications keeping my liver in check have made me a playground for viruses and bacteria. I broke my toe trying to carry my sick dog outside. She passed away the next day. There have been numerous "everyday" crises, too. Too many to count. The weight of the world has been on my shoulders, and I can see it in my face, on my body. I am tired, my face is puffy, my waistline has expanded, but I choose to smile - not because I'm that ever-optimistic cheerleader, but because I just refuse to give in. I will fight until I feel better, and I will collapse and rest when my husband comes home. Three more weeks. I got this.
Roxanne Van Gundy - Fall has not happened in the great state of Kansas, but it starting to show signs of starting. Walks have grown shorter, PSL are on the menu at Starbucks and I can finally wear big fluffy scarfs. But as I see the gold and red starting to peek out amongst the trees, it makes me sad, for another year has gone by and another Alaska fall has come and gone without me seeing it. It makes my heart pang for my home.
Kortney Fox - Oh how I LOVE fall! I am always sad to see the warmer weather leave us, but with all of the things that fall brings, it's worth the chillier weather. There is apple and pumpkin picking, pumpkin carving, playing in the leaves, and homemade pumpkin and pecan pie. I can finally light my pumpkin scented candles again. We get to have bonfires and drink hot chocolate, roast marshmallows and make s'mores. My list could go on, but I will spare you! Aside from all of those wonderful things, fall is more personal than that to our family. Ever since my husband was a kid his family farm had trail rides, bonfires, horse-drawn hay rides, pumpkin patches, and haunted corn mazes for all the public to enjoy. It was THE place to be during the fall season. Just before we got married, the property had to be sold and the festivities are no more. I know how much my husband misses it all. It was a part of him for so long. Tonight we went to a friend's farm in Illinois who does haunted hay rides, a haunted barn maze, and zombie paintball! It has been years since we had done anything like this, I forgot how much fun it is to get scared! I could see my husband's face just light up, being able to enjoy the fun instead of having to be the one who runs all of it! So, I am adding "getting scared half to death" on my list of favorite fall activities!
Sofia Di Trapani - I love Fall. I love the colors and the cool breeze. This photo reminds me of the garden. Maybe a little bit after the fall. I wonder if Eve felt the same insecurities I feel today. She hid behind the trees, she ran away from God. Sometimes shame makes us hide, run away but thank God seasons change. We don't need to remain in shame. There's redemption, there's forgiveness, there's everlasting righteousness. www.ditrapani.com
Tina Huba - This challenge was different for me since I'm originally from western PA (Pittsburgh area) but live in South Carolina. Fall this year really doesn't look like fall. The leaves are mostly still on the trees, my tomato plants are still giving us tomatoes, and we still have 80+ degree days coming next week. It feels amazing to get 79 degree days here and there. Today I am seeing some leaves changing color. Most are still green or just die and fall to the ground. It really makes me miss home because fall was always my favorite season!
Jen Ostler - I get to experience two falls this year. Fall leaves were gone and winter temps had begun when my son and I flew south from Alaska two days ago. Here in Idaho, where my parents live, it is still warm and the fall leaves are incredible. The grass is still green and lush. In my parents' backyard my dad harvested the last of their orchard apples and garden raspberries. And the Bitterroot Mountains will be my view for the next month. It feels good to be here, in the West, where I was born and raised.
