Maxine on Fall

Things we love about fall--that's the Fun Monday assignment Hoosier Girl , our host for this first week of October, handed out. There's a lot that I love about fall. But I thought I might get a little help for Maxine, the queen of bad attitudes, to illustrate my list of fall favs. Sometimes we have the same opinions, sometimes not. Maxine is pretty clear where she stands on many of the things we enjoy about fall. I hope she amuses you and offends only a bit, if at all, with her observations. (Note: if like Maxine your eyesight is "sagging", click on images to enlarge!)


Yardwork: Last week I mowed the lawn for, I hope, next to the last time this year. In a few weeks all the leaves will fall. I'll let them lay on the lawn for a bit because I'm on a corner lot where the neighbor kids love to rake up great piles of leaves and leap about in them in a mad fall frolic. In the winter they love to slide down my front yard easement when it snows. Around the first of November I'll rake all the leaves and give the yard a final mow. Should be less of a chore this year because I lost two major trees to the September '08 windstorm and January '09 ice storm. Yippee! For less raking, not losing trees.



Daylight Savings Time Ends: I'm looking forward to "falling back" when the time changes in a couple of weeks. Being a somewhat nocturnal animal, I love the idea of darkness coming earlier in the day. It's just so cozy to close up the house in the late afternoon and settle in for an evening of after-dinner teevee and reading--especially now that all the new shows are premiering. Watching Dancing with the Stars when it's still light outside would not be the same. I will admit that I didn't enjoy the time change nearly as much when working. In retirement you can be like Maxine and stay up or sleep as late as you want.


Rainy Day Reading and Cooking: In the fall I look forward to waking up to a steady rain that continues all day. It's the perfect day to make a good supply of coffee and settle in on the sofa for a day of serious reading--me on one end of the sofa, Willie on the other. This is also the perfect weather to cook up some serious comfort food--big pots of soup or stew, a retro casserole filled with forbidden stuff like cream of mushroom soup and french fried onion rings. Or, it might be baking scratch loaves of bread, scones filled with dried fruit and nuts, or a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting. Unlike Maxine, I like to share what I cook and would welcome a proper kiss for the cook!

Organization/Household Chores: With every change of season I must make this elaborate To Do list, room by room, of chores that I intend to complete during the next couple of months. I'm looking at the April-August list right now and have to admit that's it's a Maxine list through and through. Example: kitchen--make curtains, repair microwave, no; living room--wash windows, organize magazines, uh, no; office--set up files for my sister's concerns, sort out DSL service, no and no again; bedrooms--clear out closets, set up exercise area, that's two nos, outside--clean gutters, power wash siding--yep! no again. I have done a few things on the list--paid my taxes, taken Willie to vet for annual checkup, and upped savings account. I suppose the important things are getting taken care of. Besides, I have a lot from this list to transfer to my October-December list which I'll make up this week. Being more optimistic than Maxine, I won't list my chores under categories like "Things I won't do now. . .do later. . .never." Even though they'll probably end up there at the close of December. . .

New Experiences: The final thing I love about fall is that, like January, it's the beginning of the second half of the year. A great time to start something new. Today I ordered some new pilates equipment--stretch out strap and spine roller. Hopefully, I'll be inspired to work on flexibility and core strengthening. Patience over at Patience Please recently shared some miniature fall paintings that her artist husband Bill just did (scroll down a few posts to see them if you're new to her blog). I'm looking at my watercolor table and thinking about doing some fall thumbnail paintings myself. In this instance I agree totally with Maxine--never too old to learn something new, even if you might hurt yourself!

Now be sure to head over to Hoosier Girl's place to check out the many things other Fun Monday players appreciate about fall. And, you enjoy this great season however you choose!