From August to Autumn

Wow...tomorrow is August 1st, and that means another birthday will roll around for me on August 2nd, and that is in no way exciting other than the fact that it officially marks the beginning of my annual Halloween Hunt Ritual. That's what I always request to do on my birthday...go around to all the stores and see if I can spot any Halloween products on the shelves. It helps soften the blow of growing another year older, because I instantly feel like an excited kid again when I spy the first pumpkin, skull, witch hat or bat! As all good and true Halloween Lovers know...the stores right about this time, will have officially begun their slow and creepy march towards our favorite holiday...All Hallow's Eve.

 Already, most of you should have spotted the slow roll out of Fall and Halloween goodies coming to Michael's, Joanne's and Hobby Lobby's near you. But after August begins and the school stuff is bought up....the Halloween Mercantile Isles will start rolling out the good ole' Orange and Black!  And that is honestly one of the most magical and exciting things about the season for me....the Countdown!  Pumpkin Spiced EVERYTHING will begin to manifest out of thin air, and the Fun and Fright of the season will 'materialize' right before our eyes.  And that means that there will be all sorts of fun Autumn Activities kicking into high gear as well.  In fact, I just ran across one that is Perfectly Pumpkin-y in every way.  For those fiendish friends of mine who live in or near Texas, you'll want to check this out. (I'm looking at you Gill-Man!)  It's just the perfect way to spend an autumn day.  And if you get the chance to go...be sure to post some pics for the rest of us to enjoy! 

"Autumn at the Arboretum", named one of "America's  Best Pumpkin Festivals" by Fodor's Travel, MSN Travel and Country  Living, will return to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden to  highlight the "Art of the Pumpkin" September 17 to November 23. The  Dallas Arboretum was just named one of the 15 most breathtaking gardens  in the world by Architectural Digest."

Over 75,000 pumpkins, gourds and squash come together to form the nationally acclaimed Pumpkin Village. A multitude of special fall events are also available throughout the pumpkin festival including a hay bale maze, scavenger hunts and Tom Thumb Pumpkin Patch. Join us from September 17 - November 23, 2016.

For more information on all Autumn at the Arboretum events, call 214.515.6612 or visit Dallas Autumn at the Arboretum

(Photo / News - © Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden)

An All Hallow's Eve Story

The Halloween party was a splendid affair with glowing jack o'lanterns grimacing from every corner of the barn.  Festive revelers with their true identities concealed behind feathered masks and elaborate costumes, danced the night away to the hauntingly hip tunes of the Bone Janglers, with their skeleton painted faces and Grave Digger top hats. The table resplendent with every Fall treat imaginable, filling the air with the seasonal scents of pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and apples.  The scents mingled sweetly with the earthy smell of the hay bales and cornstalks that decorated the barn.  Yes, this was the Soiree of the Season and the perfect way for you to ring in All Hallow's Eve!
  

But alas, all good things must come to an end....and as the clock struck 12, the witching hour was upon you and it was time to make the short journey home through the woods.  It was light when you headed to the party earlier in the evening, but now darkness had fallen, and the path back home looked just a bit more ominous than it had on your arrival.  But no fear, as you have traveled that stretch of road many a time with no perilous results, why should tonight be any different.

After all, tonight was the most anticipated night of the year.  It was finally here...All Hallow's Eve!  The night when the veil between the living and the spirit world grows thin.  It's the time for young and old alike to don their disguises and take to the streets in search of sweet candy treats and devilish tricks!  And tonight the air is crisp and cold with a shroud of fog that has settled in to mask the unknown evils lurking in the shadows, those things that go bump in the night!  Yes, though the path is a bit more daunting than it had been earlier, the setting couldn't provide a more picture perfect ending to this enchanted night. 
 
As you gaze up into the night sky, you notice that the Moon is full and mysterious....an amber yellow glow illuminating the spindly bare branches of the late Autumn trees.  As you sink deeper into the wooded path, you begin to notice every little sound amplified around you.  The rustling of the air as it shakes the last remaining leaves from their branches, sending them to their yearly death on the forest floor.  There they will take their place in the cycle of life, their decaying forms making fertile the earth for next Spring's rebirth.  Oh how splendid the Autumn season is, you think to yourself.

Then suddenly, you feel a shiver run up your spine, and you get the eerie sensation that something or someone is watching you from the shadows. Your eyes are trying to adjust from the brightness of the moon above, to the black darkness of the woods around you, when you startle at the jolting screech of an owl overhead.  You look up and are met by the intense, icy stare of his big yellow eyes.  Whew, thank goodness it was only an owl.  
As you continue down the path, you can't help but remember the Tale of the Headless Horseman.  It had been a favorite of yours as a child, and oh how it had scared you so, to walk this same path back then.  Ha...the fertile imagination of childhood.  You don't believe in ghost tales anymore, you're far too old for such folly.  Ignoring your growing sense of unease, you see that you are almost at the forest's edge where the old covered bridge leads back to your sleepy little hamlet, tucked idyllically among the turning maples.  Ha...how silly to let that old tale creep back into your mind tonight and ignite that little flame of fear again.  You chuckle and think to yourself, that it's what makes Halloween so much fun anyway....to be a little scared.  No one is ever too old for a good ole fashioned fright!

Just then, you hear the unmistakable sound of a galloping horse coming from the dark woods behind you.  At first you think your mind and ears are playing tricks on you once again.  But as you strain to listen closer, it is unmistakably real.  You turn to look over your shoulder, but you see only darkness behind.  You turn back around and listen once more...the sound is most certainly real, and it grows louder, as does the beating of your heart.  You hasten your steps and can no longer deny the adrenaline coursing through your veins.  You dare not turn around as you begin to run towards the clearing as fast as your legs will carry you, your breathing labored by the inhalation of the cold dense air pushing hard and heavy through your lungs.  You race through the bridge until you safely clear the other end.  Then you lengthen your stride even more, and you run like you haven't run in years...not stopping until you have reached the door of your house, wheezing and huffing, and euphorically out of breath.  You've made it to safety to be sure, but now as you stop to look around, you realize there is no one in sight, you listen, but there are no sounds to be heard, save the occasional croaking of a woodland frog.  Your heartbeat begins to calm, and you grin at your own buffoonery. Man what a night....this All Hallow's Eve couldn't get any better if you had scripted it yourself.  And to think that you were actually scared like a child again....you can't help but to chuckle in spite of yourself, and you contentedly head off to bed yawning.

You awaken from your evening's slumber, and brave the frosty morning air as you take the dog out for his early morning walk, deciding to to take him back to the wooded path.  The sun has not completely risen in the eastern sky, so the brilliant colors of the glorious fall foliage are still muted and dark with shadows. The frost is thick on the brown grass and plants, and each footstep is marked with a decisive crunch. You can smell that old familiar Autumn smell that you love so much...the wood smoke wafting through the foggy morning air as the chimney fires are stoked in the surrounding homes.  As you begin to approach the trail, your dog begins to bark excitedly and runs ahead into the mist.  You lose sight of him in the fog, but you hear him growling at something in the woods ahead.  

 As you draw closer to the covered bridge, you're astonished to discover a flaming, grimacing jack o'lantern smoldering in the ashes and embers of the flickering flames.  You take a moment to absorb what you are witnessing when you notice the horse prints in the sand.  You look around cautiously as that old familiar chill runs right back up your spine, and the hair on the back of your neck stands on end.  Intrigued and slightly unnerved, you think to yourself that perhaps there really is some truth to those eerie tales that prevail in the area, those haunting legends that refuse to die.  Maybe, just maybe, you really do believe in spooks, specters and haints after all!  :o)

Tomorrow will be All Hallow's Eve once again my friends....Go forth and enjoy the Magic!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN and SAMHAIN 

Moonlight Drive by tmac0723 

Build It and They Will Come...Fall Festival

Okay...I desperately wanted to post about this two Octobers ago, but I didn't have the pictures the first year, and last year, life had other plans for our family and I couldn't participate in the Halloween Countdown.  But I eventually got it together, and it has finally made it as a post for this year's Countdown!  "Better late than never" is my motto anyway, so be it!  2012 was the 'inauguration' of something that I hope goes on for many more years to come.  As nothing gets me as excited for the Autumn Season as attending those quaint Fall Festivals up in New England, where there seems to be one on every corner.  

So imagine my utter delight at discovering my very own little Fall Festival just down the road from my house.  Yep....it was a tried and true, bonafide Fall Festival complete with Corn Maze, Pumpkin Picking, Bouncehouses and Punkin' Chunkin' into the lake.  Bare in mind here, that I do NOT live in the country by any stretch....in fact it could be called a 'suburb' at best, as grocery stores, banks and fast food restaurants are just a few miles down.  So the likelihood of this happening is about a gazillion to one.  But hey....I'm a devout believer in 'wishful thinking' and 'manifestation'....so I choose to believe that I somehow personally and magically, conjured up this little Fall Festival by sheer will, belief and determination!  And POOF....overnight my magical vision appeared in a big field down the road, that is privately owned by a local family who runs a Landscape business.  

I am assuming they just happen to love the Autumn Season too...so why not supplement their income by making use of their lovely property to bring a little Fall Magic to the residents of my town.  They planted corn and made their maze, they built little outbuildings for the farm stand to sell homemade breads and jams, they corralled off a big section to house all the pumpkins for sale, and they built a whole 'punkin' chunkin' apparatus on the edge of the pond.  They decked the whole area out with fall flowers, scarecrows and animated horror figures, and brought in an assortment of bounce houses for the wee folks.  True enough....the scale was a bit smaller than that of farms up north, but it was a fine effort indeed! Also I should note here that all I had with me last year was my iphone, so I took very few shots and they aren't good at all, but at least you can see proof that this manifestation did actually occur....the palm trees under the Corn Maze sign should be the clue that it's in Florida...ha!  

When I first laid eyes on it, the famous line from that Kevin Costner baseball movie 'Field of Dreams' sprang instantly to mind...."build it and they will come!"  Yes!  That's Right!  That's all we needed....someone, anyone, the FIRST one.... to just build it....and we will all come to pay homage to the glorious Fall!  And come we did....that little patch of land under the grand shady oaks was PACKED with curious townfolk every day it was open!  It filled my 'not so wicked lil' heart' to the brim, that all their hard work to bring a little seasonal magic to my town, was being amply rewarded with throngs of Autumn Revelers.  

They didn't charge an admission fee, but made their money through the sale of home made goodies, pumpkins, and tickets to the different events.  They had photo areas, and live music and even some local crafters' selling their wares.  All of that Autumn Goodness.... and I literally could have walked to it if I weren't so dang lazy.  So anyway, I just wanted to share my magical find, as they have been busy each year, making bigger and better upgrades to the property, putting in permanent play-sets and picnic tables etc.  Each year it gets bigger and better and the consistent crowds are proof.  I believe that this year's 3rd Annual Fall Festival is going to be even more stellar than last two.  October is the perfect month to conjure up your own Autumn Magic!  :o)

Hello October....the Halloween Countdown Begins!

HELLO OCTOBER!  The most magical month of the entire year, has finally strolled back into town.  And there is no one happier than me to greet its arrival.  And the first day of October means that the HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN 2014 has officially begun.  So join me this month, along with all the other spooky Halloween Blogs, in celebrating our favorite season of Autumn and our favorite holiday Halloween!  I'll be sharing photos I've taken through the years, poems, stories, tales of specters and spooks, blog give-aways and anything else I can conjure up to add a little Magic to the chilly air!  I will attempt to post as much as inhumanely possible, but please forgive me if I fall short, as time is always elusively fleeting for me in the month of October!  So without further ado...I offer you some images of what I love most about this magnificent month...the Turning Leaves!  And a poem that I wrote for my old friend....October! 

Hello October, My Old Friend 
By Wendy A. © 2014

Hello October, my Old Friend,

So glad you've come back 'round again. 

  
I missed the Crispness of your Air,

I missed your Rustling Breeze,

I missed the Caw of Crows nearby,

I missed your Chilly Eves. 

I missed the Earthy Scent of you,

I missed the Bonfires Burning,

I missed the Meloncholia,

That makes my Heart keep Yearning.

I missed the Haybales in the Fields,

I missed the Cornstalks browning,

I missed the Pumpkins on the vine,

I missed the Scarecrows frowning.

I missed the Orange, Yellow, Red,

Of Changing Leaves above my head.

I missed the Crunching even more,

Of Leaves strewn on your Woodland Floor.

I missed your Apple Orchards sweet,

I missed the Roadside Stands,

I missed the Harvest Festivals,

That Celebrate the Land.

I missed your Moody, Foggy Morns,

and Sun Drenched Afternoons,

I missed your Clear October Eves,

Beneath the Autumn Moon.

I missed the Trick-or-Treaters,

As they shuffle door to door.

I missed the Grinning Jack o'Lanterns,

Shining bright once more.

I missed the Ghost Stories being spun,

around a Crackling Fire.

I missed the best month of the year,

The one I most desire!

So hello October, my old friend,

It's good to see you back again!

All Images © Wendy A. (All Rights Reserved)

Oh My Pumpkin Seeds!

Oh my Pumpkin Seeds!  I have just discovered the tastiest Fall Tidbits ever.  And being the crafty lil' Good Witch that I am (most of the time), I just couldn't help but start mixin' up ingredients in my apothecary kitchen and creating a whole new bowl of YUMMY!  Okay...I bet you are just dying to know what I conjured up, so I'll tell you.  First of all, I discovered a new Fall product at Trader Joe's.  Of course for me, everything at Trader Joe's is new however....because we just got our very first store here this Summer....woo hoo!  So when I was there on Monday trying to find my trail mix, I stumbled upon Trader Joe's Spiced Pumpkin Seeds.  Of course the word 'spice' immediately sends up a red flag for me, because I do not like hot and spicy anything.  And I figured they probably had some kind of Chipolte or Cayenne Pepper on them.  But luckily I am also a curious and resourceful lil' witch, so I checked the ingredients.  And lo and behold, the 'spice' in these babies is of the 'sweet' variety....like allspice and cinnamon.  Now we're talkin'!  But still being ever so cautious, I decided to buy just two bags in case I hated them, knowing the Hubby human Hoover would eat whatever I refused to, because he's not picky and he hates to waste food/money. Good man!

Now I must backtrack to our other favorite Fall treat...Publix Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream.  That is some tasty tasty stuff with bits of real pie crust and ribbons of whip cream in it.  We'd already picked up about 5 cartons of it when it was on sale, because that's how we roll.  Did I mention that there are also currently 10+ bottles of that International Delights SF/FF Pumpkin Pie Spice Creamer that I mentioned in an earlier post, sitting pretty in our second refrigerator?  Yeah....that crap was too hard to obtain for too long, so when we finally found a well stocked cooler....we cleaned them out!  Where was I?  Oh yes...my new magically delicious concoction of Autumn Deliciousness.  

So when I finally got a handful of those Spiced Pumpkin Seeds in my mouth, I was in Pepita Paradise....omg, they are SO freakin' scrumptious and pretty much highly addictive as well  Also, these are the 'shelled' pumpkin seeds I'm talking about...not those nasty in the hull ones.  Anyway....the light bulb in my head goes off, and I think to myself...what a wonderful world these tasty tidbits would make an incredible topping for my Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream!  So I got right on that....and the rest is Halloween History in this house.  

 Everyone loved it....in fact we probably love it TOO much, but it is what it is.  So needless to say, I sent the Hubster back over to Trader Joe's first thing the next morning with a standing order of 'every bag on the shelf'.  And in true Hubster fashion, he brought me back just 6 out of  the 30 available bags....curse him!  That's okay...he'll just be making more trips like he had to do for the creamer, until he finally broke down and stocked up like I told him to begin with!  So for those of you with a Trader Joe's anywhere near you, get over there and get some now.  As for the Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream, Publix is a Florida only store I believe, but Trader Joe's has their brand of  Pumpkin Ice Cream too, and I'm sure your local grocers do as well.  And don't forget to add your Spiced Pumpkin Seed Topper!  You can thank me later for Brewin' this up!

 

Halloween Hits the World Market

So new this week here in Florida...World Market finally started getting in their Day of the Dead and Halloween Merchandise....woo hoo!  I snapped a few shots, but not all the shelves were stocked completely yet. I loved these grinning Jack O'Lantern Gourd wind chimes.  Seeing them hanging there in one giddy lil' grinning group made me oh so Halloween Happy!  

World Market also has a nice selection of Dia de los Muertos items.  I especially liked the Skeleton Cats and Skeleton Owls which were new.  I picked up a black and white Sugar Skull Head plate.  And almost bought a Sugar Skull Stress Ball because lets face it...who doesn't have stress and couldn't use an item like that every so often?!

And they also had a cute selection of Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein Movie melamine plates and serving platters that were Monsteriffic too!  

Another bonus to World Market is that they have a great selection of just about every Autumn/Halloween Beer, Hard Cider, and Wine known to man.  So if you'd like to sample one, before committing to the whole case......just pick up an empty 6-pack bottle holder, and fill it with single bottles of beer in every Pumpkin-y, Autumn-y flavor that tickles your fancy, it's that easy.  Then just take it back to your place with some Pumpkin Chips and Salsa....and you're all set to host your own lil' Beer Tasting or Mini Octoberfest in the comfort of your own home. 

There were lots of other good finds that I would have photographed and shared at World Market, but the employees who were stocking the shelves kept watching me with a suspicious eye as though I might actually make out the door with a Skeleton or bag of Chocolate Monster Eyeballs...so I decided to put the camera away, make my purchases and leave.  But it is definitely worth checking out if you have one in your area!

And So It Begins...the Pumpkin is Back!

And so it begins....bring on the Autumn Season!
What a most wickedly wonderful surprise I woke up to this morning, thanks to my dear hubby!  I opened the refrigerator doors to discover the First Pumpkin Goodies of the Halloween Season.  Bye-bye sugar-free Hazelnut coffee creamer...you have officially been replaced until further notice by a brand new fat-free/sugar-free Pumpkin Pie Spice Coffee Creamer by International Delight!  In the past I've always used Coffee Mate sugar-free Pumpkin Spice creamer because it's the only Pumpkin flavored one we could find that was also sugar-free.  But this year International Delight has stepped up its game and actually beat Coffee Mate to the grocery store...at least with the sugar-free version.  And as I sit here typing, and sipping from my Owl mug, I can attest to its Pumpkin Pie Tastiness! 

And as if that man didn't already score enough brownie points with me today...my new creamer was flanked with Limited Edition Pumpkin Pie Yogurt - Light, from Yoplait!  How cool is that?!  I have not sampled the yogurt yet, so I can't report on its tastiness as of this writing, but truly how bad can anything with a lil' pumpkin in it really be?!  I am super excited to give this stuff a try, and plan on doing just that at lunch today, but the more important point of today's post is that it is officially The Season of the Autumn People....at least in the grocery stores....woo hoo!  I should also mention that the hubster also brought home a bag of Pepperidge Farms Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies the other day too, in case anyone is interested in checking them out. I was skeptical at first, but they were moist and soft and quite yummy...however there are only 8 cookies in the bag and with 5 people clamoring to try them....the whole bag was decimated within about 5 minutes!  Hence, why there is no photo evidence of it's existence!  All the more reason to go buy some more!  Would love to know what the rest of you are finding in your area grocers...so please be sure to post! 

The Halloween Watch Begins

Well it's now July....and that means that we are one month closer to Halloween....woo hoo!  And as it turns out, Halloween is officially on its way into retail stores near you....or at least near ME!  I can happily report from the mainland of Florida the following Fall/Halloween sightings thus far.  Of course the craft stores are always first on the scene as expected, since crafters need to start procuring supplies for their Autumn crafting and fairs.  At last check, Michael' and JoAnne's both had their autumn floral out including fall leaves, pumpkins, crows,  gourds, owls, and ribbons etc.  Michael's also has their Halloween ribbons out as well. 

Here in Florida, we have a store called Garden Ridge...not sure where else this store is in other parts of the country, as I just discovered it last year....it's similar to Old Time Pottery (which did NOT have any Fall/Halloween stuff out yet last time I checked, although they may have some now that July 4th is over).  But anyway, Garden Ridge does have both Autumn and Halloween stuff out already.  They were just getting it out 2 weekends ago, so there's probably even more now.  That is the first official sighting of substantial Halloween merchandise I've seen.  Additionally, Hobby Lobby also has most of their Autumn stuff out now....along with most of their CHRISTMAS!  Yes, I said Christmas...ugh!  I always loathe seeing  Christmas come out before or at the same time as Halloween, but Hobby Lobby is a religious store, so I've noticed that they will actually wait quite a long while to put Halloween on display, while having Christmas merchandise out as early as June.  At least they have the Autumn stuff anyway.  And lastly, someone online mentioned that Grandin Road has sent out a 'Halloween Preview Catalog' email as well.  There are some Halloween items on their site right now, but their "Halloween Haven" is not officially up yet.

** And that is it from my neck of the woods...would love to know what everyone else is seeing.  And for any of my old Halloween pals that have switched their blogs over to Google + or whatever that is.....I do apologize, but I can no longer comment on your blogs unless I sign up for it, and I don't want it.  I think it sucks that they want to force you to switch to it in order to be able to stay in contact with our blogger friends.  So please know that if you have switched over, I am still following your blog, but I guess I will not be able to comment any longer....boo hiss, sorry!  :o(