Fall’s Golden Glow

For many, the new year always officially begins when school re-opens in the fall. As the easy and carefree days of summer dwindle, a world painted in vibrant greens yields to the warm hues of rust and golden brown. As a kid, growing up in a small Illinois town (990+ or minus residents) for three glorious months I became a free-wheeling child of nature. I was (unbeknownst to me) looked after by people who hoped I’d freely explore as they once did, as members of this tight and neighborly community where life was safe and bountiful.

Barefoot was summer’s requisite style. I soon developed thick skin with calluses so, without flinching I could withstand almost anything I would encounter in my explorations. Bright, summery items of clothing by fall became faded, shapeless, and almost unrecognizable as t-shirts and much-mended shorts. They were sent to the rag bag. The children of summer grew like proverbial weeds so by late-August, mother enlisted dad for an official shopping trip. Starched cotton dresses itched, and unyielding leather shoes were torture devices. Casual pants and jeans were unheard of as school wear so, we carried ourselves as ladies — even on the playground where eagle-eyed boys hoped for (but rarely got) glimpses beneath our skirts.

Overnight the air developed a sharp edge requiring jackets, sweaters and eventually coats. Possessions piled on along with schoolbooks, homework, and lunch sacks or cash for the cafeteria. Things often got misplaced creating temporary drama. Outside, fallen leaves skittered over the pavement, crackled underfoot, and gathered in corners. The previously sweet air smelled like dirt and decaying vegetation with an occasional acrid puff of burning leaves. At home, rugs were dragged out to the wash line and dust beaten out of them. Night came quickly and quilts appeared on beds with lots of colorful, handmade extras heaped nearby. In the kitchen, the oven worked overtime after its long summer hiatus and slow-cooked stews, meatloaf, and oven-braised porkchops sparked appetites. The supply of home-made cookies never seemed to dwindle and served as much-anticipated rewards for surviving another day at school. Time passed quickly and new routines became habit. Soon Halloween and Thanksgiving would mark fall’s end only to find it repeated almost verbatim the following year.

Bobbin-olive.com offers an array of fall journals, diaries, and datebooks all with bright, autumn-themed artwork on covers. Many provide prompts for inspiration and to aid you in documenting your own sweet memories.