Ten Reasons to Be Thankful for Fall

I have to admit, fall is NOT my favorite season.  I love summer.  Working in the garden, going barefoot, having the windows open, no need for jackets, summer.  So fall is kind of tough for me, being the definite end of summer and a scary glimpse into what's ahead--the full-on Wisconsin Winter.
Whenever things change, we have a choice.  We can moan and groan about what's gone, or we can deal with the change in a positive, thankful way.

So here are my 10 reasons to be thankful for fall.

1.  Pumpkins.  Because without them, we wouldn't have pumpkin pie.  Plus they're a really great orange color.

2.  Hoop quilting.  Hand quilting in a hoop is much more comfortable in the fall than in the summer.  This is a top pieced by my great-grandmother in 1969.  I have been working on it off and on for literally years.  Although I guess this is a good example of how long it takes to finish a quilt you're not working on.  So with cooler weather, I'm working on it again.

3.  Knitting. While it can be done anytime, it just seems more right when it starts to get cold in the mornings.  Here I'm making caps for soldiers:  (www.capsforsoldiers.com).  Luckily I've got lots of yarn.

4.  Canning season is just about over.  Here are 19 quarts of apples, ready to make into pies this winter.  I canned these on Monday, and made apple butter on Friday.  I like canning, especially since it means I've got lots of good local food on hand even if we get snowed in.  (It usually saves money, too.)

5.  Quilt shows!  It's quilt show season!  Quilts, vendors, classes, oh and did I mention vendors?  And even if you can't get to all of them, some of them have great pictures online.  The photo above comes from Quilt Expo 2014 in Madison, Wisconsin.

6,  Wool quilts.  Don't miss the wonderful new exhibit at the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts entitled "Sheared Delights".  The quilt in the photo above is hanging right as you enter the exhibit, and it is mesmerizing.  (See the web page at:  wiquiltmuseum.com).  There is nothing like the deep rich colors of wool.  I might have to make another wool quilt myself.

7.  Antique shopping!  Flea market season is, sadly, over, but now antique mall season begins for my husband and me.  It's fun just to look.  You never know what you're going to find.

8.  Walks in the woods.   We had a great day yesterday, walking on a trail at Pike Lake with our dog Bella.  The leaves look brown here, but they were brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and red as well as brown, and they crunched under our feet.

9.  Oven meals, or crock pot dinners.  I could call this one "West Bend Farmers Market Pot Roast".  The beef, potatoes, carrots, and onions all came from the market.  Yesterday was the last day for this year's market, but it will be back again in late May.
Crock pot meals are my favorite on weekend days.  I can get it ready in the morning, and it can cook all day while I sew.  Makes the house smell great, too.  I guess I could do this in the summer, but we just aren't in the mood for this kind of food until it starts getting cold.

10.  Time with family and friends.  We have several family birthdays in the fall (above is our daughter Connie's last September).  One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving, which for me really ends the fall season.  No commercialism, no hype, just a good home cooked meal to share, and all of us thankful for the past year and glad to be together.

Wishing you the joy of this season, and every season.
Happy quilting!
Sylvia