The Book of Me - Prompt 4: Your Favorite Season

[Editor's Note: The Book of Me is a series of writing prompts focusing on lifestreaming or preserving one's own memories rather than those of our ancestors and family members. Click here to read more.]

This week's prompt in The Book of Me - Your Favorite Season - happens to coincide with the approaching Autumnal Equinox here in the United States. This is no accident, for Autumn or Fall has always been the best time of the year for me. So as I sit here on a late Chicago afternoon with a cool breeze coming off of Lake Michigan, I decided to try an experiment with the writing style for this week's topic. I call it "life streaming mind streaming" where I just put down strings of words and phrases to pop into my head about Autumn.  Here goes and I hope it makes sense . . .

• Leaves turned gold, red and brown, their summer emerald green coats transformed.

• Cool breezes pushing Summer on its way to other lands.

• The sound of geese flying South warning of Winter's chill.

• The smell of warm apple cider and cinnamon simmering on the back burner.

• Roasted root vegetables with a slash of balsamic vinegar and sprig of rosemary, served in Grandma's favorite casserole dish.

• Preparations for the coming winter, gathering and preserving summer's harvest, remembering how Mom did the same thing each Fall.

• Breaking out the comforter for the first time in months, wrapped in warmth; memories of Grandma's quilts in that huge farmhouse in Grahamsville.

• Walks in the woods and fields looking at Nature's annual show; knowing your roots in the Catskill Mountains.

• Crisp morning air just after sunrise over the lake, awaiting the first frost.

• Meals morphed into soups, stews and slow roasted meats, smells and memories wafting through the air.

• Looking forward to family gatherings over the holidays as you do each year. 

This is Autumn for me. My favorite season.

© 2013, copyright Thomas MacEntee