About fall, and rambling memories

Happy Autumn!!
We finally have that touch of coldness in the air, and apples from the orchard freshly picked and sitting in a big bin on our counter. Camille has been helping herself every few hours (washing them in the bathroom, eating a little ring around the center of each apple, then leaving it hidden under her chair or tossing it in the trash). The other kids have been enjoying them, too. We made apple cake the other day, smothered in a butter/caramel topping that was soooo good. I love the apple season. I love fall.

But I also have come to expect the melancholy and wistful reminiscing that I have associated with fall for many years now. I find myself often thinking about past friends and memories, remembering both good and hard times. Like that heart-wrenching break-up scene of Brian and me on Lake Horace in New Hampshire, rowing in the mist together, trying not to cry even though were had decided we just weren't able to make things work together. Or those long, lonely days in London when Brian worked so hard and Samantha and I were so alone sometimes. Or Wade...

Anyway, I've been having some of those days. But today is not one of those wistful days of longing. It's just a day, and I'm happy for it. We've settled back into the routine of school, much to my relief. It's not always an easy journey, and some of our kids seem to adapt a little less easily than others. But we're making it, and finding a rhythm that works for us, thankfully.

At some point on this blog, I want to return to our wonderful summer, and hopefully I'll get the chance here sometime soon. We did soooo many lovely, memorable, fun and enjoyable things together as a family this summer. It was truly a magical kind of summer, to me... One I hope to remember for a looong time, and hope our kids will remember, too! I always wonder, what will be the memories that really stick with them? Will they remember Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands? That cool hotel with a waterslide in the swimming pool area? Will they remember driving through the glorious Tetons and getting out to play in the snow, in June? Will they remember camping and rafting and Lagoon?? I sure hope so! There's our summer in a nutshell. ha!

But back to fall...
Here's me, thinking waaaaayy back to my childhood -- I start thinking about Septembers Past, and I remember our wood-burning fireplace in the living room; the smell of smoke as I got off the bus from school; stomping in wearing my new school shoes and pants; carrying in logs from around the side of the house; picking out new fall jackets and sweaters that were a little big (so they'd fit me all winter); loving the morning after daylight-savings ended, when we got the extra hour to sleep in before school. Those are commonplace, everyday memories that mean a lot to me now. On cold evenings, I'd slip off my shoes during family scripture study and put my socked feet on the stone near the edge of the fireplace, feeling the warmth run through my whole body, warming me. At night, that North wind would blow, and I'd pile the blankets on my bed and put my head way down in the covers, surrounding myself with all my stuffed animals. These are some of my memories of fall. Things I love to think about when I'm getting that "pining for home" feeling.

I'm not sure where I was heading with this entry. I started it a couple of days ago now, and haven't really had much direction or motivation. So I'll just post it and hope for more enlightenment as things move along here. Happy Autumn, folks!!:)