10 things I love about fall

Fall is not my favorite season. I think summer and spring rank above it a bit. But I do love fall and here are some of the reasons why:

1) I love the smell in the house when I turn the furnace on for the first time - kind of a dust burning smell. I know, weird.
2) Getting my warm clothes out. I love turtlenecks, vests and cardigans.
3) Crunching dead leaves. I like the sound.
4) The colors of the leaves on the mountain - the brilliant reds, yellows and oranges have got to be one of God's greatest thought processes brought to life.
5) Halloween decorations. I don't decorate much at my house anymore but anything with ghosts, pumpkins and black cats are fun. I don't like the bloody, crazy stuff, not that it's scary - it's just not fun to look at.
6) Soups and stews. I love clam chowder, squash soup, chicken noodle soup, beef stew, split pea soup ... mmmmm. And fall is the best time for them. With cornbread or big fluffy rolls.
7) The crispness of the morning air. While I know this is a precursor for really cold morning air in a few months, I do love the chill in the air in the morning.
8) Fuzzy blankets. You just can't curl up in the summertime with a fuzzy blanket to read, watch TV, whatever. But you can in the fall. I love my fuzzy blankets.
9) Slippers. Same as No. 8 - can't wear them in summer but love them in the fall.
10) Thoughts of holiday fun. I'm not ready for Christmas or even Thanksgiving but I like to think ahead a little to make tentative plans. And just the thought of eating a full turkey dinner makes my stomach smile, even today when it's not at it's happiest.