Fridays Five Favorite Things - All Things Fall

Fall is by far my favorite time of year. It has always been my favorite, so I think I become extra sentimental this time of year. There are sights and smells of Fall that bring me right back to childhood. One single breath in or the first feel of cool crisp air can transport me right back there. Here are five of my favorite things about fall and how they came to mean so much to me.

1. The smell of burning leaves - I have to admit this one only takes me back to our first fall in Beaufort. I don't remember burning leaves growing up in New Orleans - I think there is a city-wide burn ban. Man, I didn't know what I was missing. When we first moved to Beaufort, we didn't know anyone, and I spent our hot September weekends moping about missing home. But our first October weekend made me fall in love with Beaufort. We woke up to crisp weather and I watched Mark run in the Shrimp Run. We met a few new people and made plans for dinner with our new friends Matt and Jaime. I remember the drive over to their house and how the smokiness of the burning leaves was just the greatest thing. It was the first weekend we had here where I thought - "this will be alright." And it has been way better than that!
2. Halloween - I have always loved Halloween. It is my dad's birthday, and he used to tell us how it was always so nice of the stores to decorate for him and celebrate his birthday. Then he would ask us why all of these kids were coming over asking him for something when they should have been bringing him presents. I always thought that was the funniest thing! My dad and I are the only people in the fam who really enjoy Chinese food, so we didn't eat it much, but every year on his birthday, we would have Shrimp with Lobster Sauce and Egg Drop Soup and Eggrolls. It felt so special.
3. Pumpkin Pie - Speaking of birthdays, my birthday is in early November and growing up I didn't like chocolate or cake (unless it was covered in my dad's buttercream frosting). So every year at my birthday parties we would have pie. I love the smell of a baking pumpkin pie - the butter in the crust and the cinnamon in the filling. Delish! I highly recommend the Pecan Pumpkin Butter from Williams Sonoma!
4. Cool Breezes - We went to daycare at a very special place called Buster Bear. The family who ran it is like our second family and most of my best childhood memories exist there. They had this great swing set and I can completely remember swinging as high as I could and feeling the first winds of fall brush through my hair. There was an excitement and anticipation that you could feel with the change of the seasons. It was like nature's way of welcoming us into this special time of year.
5. A Gas Furnace - That is truly the best smell in the world. Growing up we had a gas heater in our den. My parents would eventually change it out to central air and heat and fall was never quite the same after that. You always knew fall had arrived when you needed to click the switch on the gas heater. The smell crept into every crevice of the house. It was warm and comforting like a big blanket wrapped around you. I remember that it made a funny sound too. It's funny how it's the simplest of things that you treasure the most. I loved that darn heater.

Happy Fall!!!