Fall bucket list

I love summer. LOVE summer. I would take 100 degree days anytime, all the time. I love pools, lakes, oceans, bathing suits, suntans, and HEAT. I love that my morning commute is 15 minutes less without school buses. I love that the days are longer and the light is plenty. I love that the farmers market is stocked with fresh fruit. That pants are optional (summer dresses … what else). And shoes? 100% not necessary in the summer.

And now, in the blink of an eye, here we are at the end of August with a high of 78 degrees. And I am in mourning. It was dark when I left for work, and a fall décor Pottery Barn catalogue sits on my coffee table.

Photo courtesy of my photographer mama. This is what happens when she gives me a
memory card that already had pictures on it. :)

But fall .. my second favorite season. Oh how I love fall, and pumpkins, apple picking, and homemade things in quilted mason jars tied with a ribbon. Second to Christmas, Halloween is my favorite holiday, and squeezing it at the teeny tiny tail end of October gives us all month to celebrate. I almost don’t want to get excited, because I know that the second I do, Mother Nature will hear me, and in the blink of an eye summer will officially be over.

I debated posting this. What if Mother Nature reads my blog? I decided she was more of a Pioneer Woman kind of lady, and figured it was safe. Shhhh.

Ergo. To ensure that fall doesn’t fly by as fast as summer did, and to make sure I squeeze out every drop of rust-orange goodness, I made a fall bucket list. Every item must be checked off and mentioned here, with photographic evidence.

• Go apple picking: We go to Sky Top Orchard in Hendersonville every year.
• Make homemade apple sauce with the fresh picked apples.
• Drink a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte.
• Make homemade apple butter. Can it. Share with friends.
• Pick out a pumpkin and carve it.
• Roast the pumpkin seeds.
• Make homemade pumpkin sage gnocchi. Share the recipe.
• Have a back yard bon fire with smores.
• Go hiking.
• Make homemade apple pie. Eat it for breakfast. With ice cream.
• Make a fall wreath. Consult Pinterest if necessary.
• Make and wear the sweater boot socks that I pinned.
• Buy a box of Trader Joes pumpkin muffin mix. Make the muffins. Top with cream cheese icing. Call it breakfast, not dessert.
• Find a recipe for and attempt homemade apple cider. Spike it if feeling crazy.

There you have it – my must do list for fall. As long as we have a few more hot days, and I can maybe con someone with a pool into letting me come visit, I might be getting excited. Just might. Not confirmed.

Definitely not confirmed.