Touch Me, Fall

Peer pressure has finally gotten to me (and I am procrastinatin')...I'll take a stab at the Fall Meme making the rounds:

Favorite fall dessert: My mom's pumpkin pie -- very creamy, light on the cloves -- with her famously good pie crust.

Favorite fall holiday: Thanksgiving. Turkey, dressing, pumpkin pie -- what's not to like? Time to don the stretchy pants!

Best fall memory: Autumns in college...our campus was beautiful. I remember how much I enjoyed walking to class surrounded by the amazing foliage. And we always had delightful Lutheran Student Movement autumn retreats in Indiana or Ohio, at remote locations in the woods. One retreat was at a place called the Center For Peace and Justice, run by a radical priest and two nuns; we loved them. There was an environmentally friendly house on premises that amazed me at the time -- it had a greenhouse filled with tomatoes in, I think, November, and a lovely kitchen with a big cast-iron stove and blue-and-white Delft tiles on the wall, and a whole gallon bucket of hickory nuts from the surrounding woods sitting in the corner; I thought, "Someday I'd love a kitchen like this." (The necessity of splitting wood somehow not factoring into my grand plan.)

Worst fall memory: Starting a Job From Hell, on the administrative staff of a university. It was so bad that I'd quit by Christmas, even though I'd gotten stellar reviews from my boss...even though it meant that I gave up the opportunity for free grad school tuition. It was so bad that I literally burned my employee documents upon giving my notice. Real bad.

Most puzzling fall memory: I don't remember a lot of my mid- and late 20's...not that I was altering my consciousness or riding the Disoriented Express or anything; I just don't remember specifics of that time in my life.

Best thing about fall walks: Everything. That heady scent of curing foliage and fruit and autumn flowers; the colors; the crisp air, and the warmth of wool. The arrows of geese flying overhead. Fall is by far my favorite season.

Favorite fall chore: Raking leaves.

Least favorite fall chore: Cleaning gutters and washing windows.

Best change in the home: Being able to snuggle under an afghan.

Favorite flower: New England asters -- incredible color.

Best tree in the fall: Sugar maples, and the ashes whose leaves turn burgundy. Some juneberries are quite beautiful in the fall, with multicolored leaves. Sassafras are pretty too, but they're hard to find around here. I like the bronze leaves of beeches, and their smooth trunks. And the odd, appealing, almost metallic look of ironwood bark, which becomes more noticeable in an autumn woods.

Fall ritual: Packing away summer clothes and bringing out the cold-weather wear.

Most frustrating thing about fall: Shorter days. It's really depressing driving to work in the dark and driving home in the dark.

Favorite childhood game: I don't remember having a fall childhood game.

Favorite childhood memory: Whenever my dad went to the grain elevator in town, I'd go along. There was an ancient Coke machine in a corner, and Dad would give me a quarter for a Coke, if I'd split it with him...that was back in the days of the green, hourglass-shaped bottles. I'd hang out with him in the office, which was always interesting because they'd have fascinating things in there like cats or boxes of puppies for sale or horse tack or a large jar filled with a real pickled tapeworm demonstrating why you should worm your cattle. And when we took our corn to the elevator to grind, I'd always get to sit in our truck while the hoist lifted the cab, tipping the box so that the grain would fall out. It was like a carnival ride.

Favorite decorations: Natural fall wreaths that use wild grasses and fruits. Indian corn and gourds.

Favorite clothing: LutheranChik, not being a slave to fashion, generally favors functional L.L.-Beanish wear most of the time anyway, but especially in the fall. I have a special affection for huge Peruvian sweaters and voluminous flannel nightgowns. (Yeah, I know -- this is like an anti-personal ad. What can I say? -- I get cold.)

Best scenery: Michigan's hillier counties in the northwest.

Best fall travel tip: Watch for deer.

Favorite drink: Cider, fresh from the press.

Best method of transportation: Anything that gets you to a good leaf-peeping destination.

Traditional fall candy: Remember Kraft Fudgies? They don't sell them around here anymore. We always used to buy pounds of them for Halloween back in the day. I love them.

Favorite Sound: The crunch of leaves under my feet, and the rustle of leaves overhead; the sound of the geese. And I will admit to a certain sentimental fondness for the sound of the MSU Marching Band practicing out on the green outside the "Virgin Isles" dorms where I spent my college career.

Best for fall sex: Um...hmmm...well...I suppose that would ideally include a real live Sweet Baboo with whom to...um...companionate in the autumnal splendor. And, as long as we're taking a bus trip to Fantasyland, I am imagining a lovely weekend in Benzie or Leelanau counties, which is as beautiful a place as you'd want to be in this state in the fall, especially with someone you love. But you'll have to fill in the blanks, gentle readers. (Which is probably what I'm going to be doing too, now that I'm thinking about it...)

Fall song: Nun danket alle Gott.

Reliable prediction: MSU's football team will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The new television season will be a disappointment. I will eat too much on Thanksgiving.

Best fall television show: Is there such a thing?