Defending Autumn

This post was written in September 2012, 
shortly after the first days of fall,
(and before I discovered linky parties!).
Thought I'd share it again, 
in celebration of the coming season. 

It’s been about five days since the arrival of autumn and although I screamed it from the hilltops at 12:06 am last Saturday, precisely six minutes after it was officially announced, I, unfortunately, did not welcome it as graciously as I would have liked.

For example, I could have baked an old-fashioned apple pie, placed a pumpkin or two on the front steps, heck, even outfitted myself in a tacky orange-y accessory, but no…I did nothing. I did not act. 

I simply assumed that it would show up on my doorstep, fresh and crisp and clean, the way it always does. I thought that it would stay a while, at least until I had the chance to make it feel at home. 

Nothing fancy, you know, lighting a fire, cracking a few walnuts, cuddling up with a great book and a cup of hot cocoa, or, just spending a cozy evening chatting with friends on the porch, watching the brown and brittle leaves scatter about like playful kittens with a ball of yarn.

But I did nothing. I was still preoccupied with its popular predecessor, which was hanging around way too long, and in fact, is still hovering over us, causing trouble with its heat waves and humidity, making perfectly happy people moody and tired. Clearly, smart alecky summer had overstayed its welcome and it was time to go!

I needed to take action, make things right. Fast! Needed to shoo away that sneaky sizzling spirit, at least in my house, where I had some control of the atmosphere! 

It was vital that autumn’s presence be seen and its scent be released throughout the premises, so that, in one sole and sensational step, autumn would assume its rightful throne, and with it, reign supreme for the next three months of the year, as nature intended!

And so, amid a rustic canvas, armed with a few pieces of faux foliage, fragrant cinnamon candles and some ceramic pitchers fortified with fresh fall flowers, an autumn fortress was built, by a dedicated soldier, on the marble mantelpiece, in the centre of the room, where it is distinctly visible to all, including summer! 

Thanks for visiting!