It was a little after 5pm on a cold fall evening. I was laying on the *front room floor, in all of its green shag carpeted glory. My tiny chin rested on the gold velour throw pillow from the couch, and the green, red and burnt orange afghan that someone had knit was tucked around my small body. Mom was in the kitchen making dinner, most likely involving some kind of meat cooking under the broiler, some kind of canned veggies boiling away on the stove top, and some sliced potatoes frying in the electric frypan. My brother Danny was there with me, no doubt not paying any attention to the Brady Bunch re-run that I was watching on the console tv, which also provided the only light in the room. The reflection of headlights beamed on the wall as a car turned into the driveway, and moments later the familiar squeak of the front door opening as daddy arrived home from work. It was 5:20pm. It must have been, for that was the exact same time that dad always arrived home from the exact same job that he had been doing in the exact same office for the exact same company since before I was born.
Familiarity. Comfort. Coziness. Safety.
I can remember the details of this day, only because they played out time and time again during my childhood. The dinner my mom was preparing might have changed, and the particular episode of the Brady Bunch might have been different, but the feelings I associate with this scene all of these years later is still the same.
Familiarity. Comfort. Coziness. Security.
I can't be certain, but I really think that this might be the number one reason that my favorite time of year is autumn. The season where the days get a little shorter, darkness comes a little earlier, and more time is spent on the routine happenings of life inside of the home. Nobody is outside playing, nobody is rushing to cut the grass or pick up the bikes and toys in the driveway. Everybody is already inside, safe, comfortable, and cozy. Snuggling on the couch, watching tv, unwinding from their day. Getting ready for dinner, to be eaten as a family.
Crockpots are dusted off, recipes for soups and stews and chili replace the common meals on the grill from summertime. Candles are lit because of their warmth and fragrance, and because of the ambiance they help create in the home.
Familiarity. Comfort. Coziness. Security.
Pumpkins and gourds and acorns adorn the mantle, Halloween decorations come out of their bins. Costumes are shopped for and created, holiday events begin to get filled in on the calendar. Watching football games becomes our Sunday afternoon routine, television shows resume after their summer hiatus, the heat kicks on for the first time filling the house with that old familiar burning scent. Leaves are raked, jumped in, bagged, and cleared away.
Familiarity. Comfort. Coziness. Security.
The first frost comes, and the plants and flowerpots remaining from summer are pulled and tucked away in the shed. Lawn furniture gets covered, the garage gets organized in preparation for actually parking a car or two inside during the cold weather that lies ahead. Leaves begin to change color and fall, temperatures begin to drop, and the sound of leaves crunching under foot becomes my favorite part of a walk around the block. You can smell burning leaves, bonfires, and the scent of the first fireplace fires of the season as you walk through the neighborhood.
Familiarity. Comfort. Coziness. Security.
Traditions are put into action, apple orchards are visited, pumpkin patches explored, hayrides taken. Jack-o-lanterns are carved, flannel sheets put on beds, clothing switched out, and mittens looked for. I find myself looking for any excuse to stop at a coffee shop that sells pumpkin spice coffee, and the kids begin to request hot chocolate before bed. Homework is done, lunches are made, backpacks are packed. Books begin to pile up on my nightstand as I prepare for earlier bedtimes and getting comfy under the blankets in my nice cozy bed. Jigsaw puzzles come down from the toy shelves and all ages delight in helping put them together.
Familiarity.
Comfort.
Coziness.
Security.
Fall. Autumn. My favorite season, for many a reason.
*pronounced "frunch-room"; also known as "family room" or perhaps "living room". It might not be how you say it, but it's how we say it in our family
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