Autumn Memories

Listen...
With faint dry sound,
Like the steps of passing ghosts,
The leaves frost-crisped, break from the trees
And fall.
--Adelaide Crapsey

What Autumn Means to Me

What does autumn mean to me? Many many different things! When the weather goes from that sticky hot and humid feeling of summer to the cool windy feeling of fall, my mind starts drifting towards thoughts of Halloween, Thanksgiving and the ultimate birthday! Yes, technically that falls in December, but the cool weather reminds me of the winter yet to come.

Autumn also means a trip to Finney's Pumpkinville--an annual family tradition. As I get older, Finney's becomes more special to me than it used to me. I have always loved going and picking out my very own pumpkin, but now as I prepare to get married in, I look forward to the years when I can share my experiences of autumn and Finney's with my husband and someday children.

This past year, I went back to Finney's as an adult with my Dad, Grandmother, and my soon to be husband, Jeremy. It felt wonderful to be in a place that held so many happy childhood memories for me and to be able to share those with the three people I love most. This was also the first time Jeremy had ever been to Finney's and I think it was quite an experience for him.

There aren't many places left like Finney's. Last year, our pumpkin cost us over $22 as opposed to the one we got at Finney's this year which was six dollars. The prices are not the best thing, it's the family atmosphere, the feeling that you can get back to your roots in a more agricultural society. There you are in the middle of a pumpkin patch with a big barn to your right and a farm house to your left. I oftentimes feel as if I have been transported to a more simpler and more innoncent time period when I'm there. Finney's truly is one of the best things about autumn.

Finney's isn't all that I love about autumn, with those crisp fall days also comes Halloween. Halloween and Christmas are quite possibly my favourite holidays. At Halloween, you get the chance to dress up and pretend you are something your not--it's a day of opposites. When everything that was, isn't anymore. For children, it's a wonderful holiday too because they get to go out with their friends or family (I always went with my Dad) and go trick-or-treating around the neighborhood in search for treats.

Nowadays Halloween isn't what it used to be. Now there are people who want to ban Halloween because it's dangerous and some even say Satanic. No, no, no. Halloween isn't the safest holiday, but if people are careful, it can still be a rewarding time for everyone. Granted there are crazies out there, but is this a new thing? There have been crazy people hanging around since the beginning of time, and no one tried to get rid of their holidays because of those mentally disturbed people. And Halloween is not Satanic, it does have its roots in the Pagan religions, but this does not make it associated with Satan. People need to realise that this holiday is for fun, not for hurt.

To be continued...