I consider myself to be a bit of a geographical ‘mutt’. I was born in Ohio then we moved to Missouri and then to Southern California where we lived in Culver City and then moved to Escondido. Then back to Missouri for my middle school years then back to Southern California for high school and college. FINALLY, I ended up in Oregon after marrying my husband and returning to his hometown where we’ve now lived for over twenty years.
Being a geographical mutt means that many of my earliest memories run together and can be a bit muddled.
But, I have a few very clear memories of the years we spent in Springfield, Missouri…the first time around.
Our backyard was perfect for two little girls who spent their days filled with imagination and adventures.
There was a wooden teeter-totter, swing set and a fort all available to keep us occupied for hours on end.
But, the best part were the trees. Huge oak trees that provided us wonderful shade on the hot, humid midwestern summer days and turned into a canopy of yellow, orange and brown when Autumn finally made its appearance.
But, as a little girl, I didn’t care too much about watching the leaves turn colors while they were on the trees.
I was waiting for the best part.
I was waiting for them to fall.
Waiting until they covered the ground and my dad would begin the process of raking them into giant piles. All over the front and back yards, the piles of leaves rose up out of the ground like massive leaf-covered mole hills.
And then it was time. Time for my sister and I to do what kids have been doing for generations.
We would run and leap into those giant piles, burying ourselves down into them until only our eyes were visible and then burst out, tossing the leaves into the air and at each other.
As I decorated my house this year for fall, I found myself thinking back to what it felt like to be in the middle of that leaf pile.
How it felt like I was inside my own little cocoon that smelled like wet leaves and grass.
This year, more than any other, I’ve wanted our home to feel like that cocoon. To feel cozy and safe and enveloped.
Every morning I open up the windows and invite that wet leaf smell into our home. I’ve yet to find a scented candle that can properly capture that aroma. I think that’s a good thing.
And as I set out pumpkins and fill urns with bundles of wheat, I keep thinking about being in the middle of that pile of leaves as a little girl and about the piles of leaves I watched my own children jump into when they were little. How we would rake them up and put a giant mound at the bottom of their slide and watch them go flying right into the center, giggling and screeching at the thrill of it and then begging their daddy to rake up the leaves again and again. He always happily obliged.
The memories of those sweet, simple moments are what I tried to capture as I decorated for this season.
Right now, the peacefulness and sense of security we can bring to our homes is more important than ever and it’s one of the few things in our world that we can have a measure of control over.
So I want my house to feel like a giant leaf pile. Minus the bugs of course!
I want it to be a place where you can’t wait to jump in and experience the joy of being cocooned followed by a bursting back into the world with fresh energy and the reminder of what a truly beautiful world it really is.
And how about you? How are you being intentional in your home right now?
We can get so caught up in the chaos and confusion happening all around us that it makes us feel powerless to know how to make sense of it all, especially when so much is just plain senseless.
But, one thing I know for sure is that a great place to start is at home.
Happy Autumn to you dear friends,
Beautiful writing expressing those wondrous days of being a child in the fall. I grew up in a small town in New England and can still remember those glorious times of jumping in the leaves and later the smell of those leaves as they were burning in neat piles along the road. Politically incorrect now a days but I guess we didn’t know any better. Now I compost my leaves and use them to mulch the gardens but the smell of burning leaves instantly brings me back to being a excited little girl awaiting Halloween. Still find fall is my favorite season.
Ahhhh…yes the smell of burning leaves is amazing!! That brings back memories for me too. We need more of these carefree moments in our lives these days don’t we? Happy Autumn to you Kathy!
Thank you for the beautiful pictures for our eyes and the endearing words for our souls. I felt as though I was there. Being raised in Calif. with only avocado and fruit trees in our yard, I missed that fun experience. Those were the Wonder Years.
Marian
I have so many fond memories of my years in CA! We had a grove of avocado trees behind our house in Escondido and all kinds of other fruit trees as well. The neighborhood kids would all run around picking fruit from each other’s yards as our snacks while we played. Even though it wasn’t quite the same as Fall in the midwest or here in Oregon those were still special times and definitely the wonder years. xoxo
Your home looks lovely. We have decorated our house and some on the outside,too.
HAPPY AUTUMN
Marilyn
Thank you so much Marilyn!
Your home is beautiful, Vanessa. It always looks so peaceful. I enjoyed your story about the piles of leaves; it brought back a lot of my own childhood memories. You write so well, I can picture every story. Keep it up! I definitely think it’s what you are meant to do.
Thank you so much Doris! When someone tells me my home looks peaceful I always consider that high praise because that is my goal for sure. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your kind words and encouragement. Happy Autumn to you!
Beautiful happy memories and gorgeous autumn decorating/ pics.
Your home appears to be the haven and cozy “hug” you intend for it to be.
BTW- I live in Ohio – where were you born?
Stay well.
Thank you so much friend!! I was born in Elyria. 😉 I have snippets of memories from there but we went back and visited years ago and it was so fun to have my parents show me around. Happy Autumn to you!
Oh how lovely! I felt so at peace touring your home!! Thank you!!!
Thank you so much Peg! That is such a wonderful compliment. Happy Autumn to you and yours! 🙂
Your Dad and I have fond memories of your sister and you playing in the leaves in Missouri. I have a sweet picture of just your eyes peaking through a mound of leaves. The wonderful smells of fall are forever implanted in our minds.
Lovely home/pictures. A good read as well! Thank you for this wonderful post! Memories are so sweet! I love fall, and all the scents too!
Our homes have always offered a measure of security, and they are a haven now more than ever. I agree with trying to make them feel as warm and inviting as possible, and “cocoon” like, as you mentioned. Your home offers that feeling and I’m sure all who enter feel it!
Happy Autumn 🙂 xo Shan
OH YES – autumn is my #1 favorite time of year (I am an Oct baby so maybe that is why I love it so much). I love the crisp fresh days of autumn, the joyous display of colors and my favorite colors are the autumnal colors, with jewel tones thrown in the mix. And I too feel I am a geographical mutt; born in northern Ohio, just outside of Cleveland. Lived there till end of 8th grade. Dad worked for Cleveland newspapers (pressman) and got opportunity to work in Boston papers. We lived at our cabin in Gilmanton NH a year then moved to Derry NH (closer commute for Dad) for 2 years (my sophomore and junior years) and sadly, one of the Boston papers folded so Dad moved us back to Ohio 2 months into my senior year 🙁 . I stayed in Ohio for several more years until I moved to Hawaii for 5 years, then to Georgia, then to central Florida for 12 years and now back in Georgia for the past 20 years (wow – longest I have ever been anywhere actually). Whew. I came back to GA because they have 4 seasons and I missed the autumn and winter cooler weather (without snow shoveling, lol). BTW, love those ironstone pieces! I love ironstone and have many pieces myself.