In the forums, we’ve been discussing favorite holiday traditions, but since October only just began, I thought it would be fun to talk fall. That’s right — it’s decorative gourd season, motherfuckers! Do you all have favorite fall traditions and activities or events you look forward to every year? I have a few…
Every Friday of October, I have a song I sing to/about our cats, Miles and Simone. It started by chance about, I don’t, eight or nine years ago, when I dressed them up in some kitty wigs my sister sent them. They looked so cute that they inspired a song, the lyrics of which go: “Miles and Simone looking really cute, looking really cute, looking really cute. Miles and Simone looking really cute on this Friday night in October.” I only sing it on Friday nights. In October. Obviously. I seriously look forward to this every year, and now that Simone is 18 (and Miles is a not-so-spry 12), I’m very grateful for another chance to sing my big hit.
Every October, Drew watches baseball’s post-season, which I pretend is annoying (and, ok, sometimes it really is), but mostly I look forward to this traditional marking of time, his excitement, and the pumpkin beers he brings home to keep me happy.
I usually buy a new pair of boots in the fall, which I often spend weeks searching for. As a New Yorker, I often walk up to five miles a day, and my boots get lots of wear in the winter. I resole the better-quality boots (like my Fryes), and replace the ones that have bitten the dust. This year I’m in the market for some flat black ankle boots (maybe these!).
Last year we started what I think might become a new family tradition now that the kids aren’t babies anymore: early on Thanksgiving morning we subway into midtown and, from the comfort of Drew’s office in 30 Rock, we watch the Macy’s parade. We have a great view, easy access to the bathroom, and the ability to quickly run out to 6th avenue and wave to Santa as he rides by. It’s pretty excellent.
What about you? What fall traditions do you look forward to?
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bondgirl October 3, 2017, 2:31 pm
Your picture of your cat reminded me of the annual photo I like to take with my black cat, who I like to refer to as my mini panther. Anyway, I take a picture of him every fall with a pumpkin since he is my Halloween kitty.
Kate October 3, 2017, 2:36 pm
Just buying sweaters and boots really!
Speaking of older animals, I called the vet today to ask about upping the dose of prednisone my dog takes for his immune-mediated arthritis because he’s been lashing out at us a lot more lately and we think he must be in pain. She’s like, not to scare you but maybe it’s a brain tumor. Wtf. Then she concluded by saying, well, he IS kind of an odd duck, but yeah, if upping his meds don’t work, maybe it’s a brain tumor that’s making him act cray.
Lianne October 4, 2017, 8:36 am
WTF?! Way to scare you. What is wrong with people?
Kate October 4, 2017, 11:26 am
I was a bit taken aback! I said like Arnold in Kindergarten Cop, “it’s not a tumah!”
Kate October 4, 2017, 11:27 am
Also, she just had a baby… I’m sure she’d love if her pediatrician pulled that move with her.
veritek33 October 3, 2017, 3:11 pm
I just love chili making weather and bonfires. And the annual “day veritek spends way too damn much on mums and pumpkins.”
And annual Oktoberfest trips to Missouri “wine country”
Northern Star October 3, 2017, 4:43 pm
For me, fall = fresh apple season. I absolutely love going apple picking at a nearby orchard (must get fresh, hot cider donuts, too). Then, I come home to bake pies, muffins, crisps, whatever strikes my fancy.
If you don’t have one, the apple peeler-slicer-corer doohickey is an amazing invention!
bondgirl October 4, 2017, 9:49 am
my boyfriend has one of those too, such an awesome tool to have, especially when you make apple pies as often as he does! the juice from the apples does tend to get all over everything though, so thorough cleanup is necessary.
and YAAAAAAS cider donuts are the best! I may get hell for this, but I actually prefer all the apple cider flavored things over pumpkin spice.
ktfran October 4, 2017, 10:01 am
I’m with you. I like pumpkin pie. Full stop. The rest, hand me some apple flavored goodness!
I don’t have any fall traditions, really. A couple years, some friends and I went to an orchard outside of the city. This year, I met my sis and nephew at a neighborhood apple fest. I like to meet up with a friend on Sunday’s and watch a noon football game at a bar and drink bloody mary’s. Hmm, maybe this will be the first year I buy and carve a pumpkin and then toast pumpkin seeds. We’ll see. My October is full of travel for weddings. Ugh.
carolann October 3, 2017, 6:14 pm
I am a giant horror fan (we watch a different horror / suspense film every night) and on Oct 1st I get to decorate the porch and yard for Halloween. (our house has some halloween stuff up all year and my son’s room has lots of Universal Monsters, Monster High, Phantom Hourglass ,Giant Spiders etc up all year) I used to wait until later, but another neighbor started putting their stuff up early, so why not? I love the orange lights outside. You can see them from streets away. We live right off the main downtown area on a hill I feel like the Queen of Halloween.
On Halloween we put a projector show on our front double window with all sorts of Halloween themed videos and halograms. Neighbors come out on their porches and watch.
Ashley October 3, 2017, 8:20 pm
Baking. Pumpkin cinnamon rolls and pumpkin empanadas are currently in the kitchen.
Ange October 3, 2017, 11:59 pm
It’s still hot as balls here in Autumn (March), all your stuff sounds so nice. I really wish Australia did Halloween, it would easily be my favourite holiday.
d2 October 4, 2017, 7:20 am
My fall tradition always seems to be: OMG I have to get all these summer chores done that I have been putting off before winter gets here!
I really need to find a new theme…
Lianne October 4, 2017, 8:40 am
We live in the Halloween capital of the world currently (but it’s our last year since we just accepted an offer on our condo!). So for the past 3 years, we’ve gotten swept up in the craziness that is Salem in October. Knowing it’s our last year, we will probably make sure to do even more events.
My husband loves Halloween so we like to really decorate for it. We also made our son’s Halloween costume last year, and I’d like to make that an annual tradition.
In terms of non-Halloween fall activities, I’ve never, not once ever in my life, been apple-picking, so I’d like to start doing that this year with our son. I love when I get to wear boots and sweaters and cute vests. I also love that I don’t have to shave my legs as often. Is that ok to say? 😉
MaterialsGirl October 4, 2017, 10:10 am
Apple picking!! and canning tomatoes and making salsas and apple butter and baking pies, and then of course going through all my summer clothes and switching them out with fall sweaters. I’m actually heading to apple pick this weekend. Hurray Fall!
GertietheDino October 4, 2017, 11:21 am
I bust out the scarves and drink cider. Fall here lasts about a week so I’m gearing up for snow.
SpaceySteph October 4, 2017, 12:16 pm
My most favorite fall tradition (as a southerner) is finally not sweating my ass off between my house and my car. 🙂
We’ve gone low-key for Halloween since we grew out of the whole “wear something slutty and get really drunk” phase. I make a crockpot split pea soup and we just hang out and give out candy. But I have great memories of pumpkin carving as a kid so I hope to start doing that with my own kid. She’ll only be 6 months old but she might still enjoy playing with the goopy inside of the pumpkin.
Portia October 4, 2017, 2:02 pm
The one fall tradition I have is walking through the temporary horse stables in downtown DC during the horse show. They close down like 4 blocks downtown for a week and you just see horses walking around, hanging out, getting groomed, etc. I happened upon it a few years ago because it was on my way to work and I just think it’s so magical. (For those in DC, it’s around the Verizon Center October 24-29.)
Other than that? I can’t think of any fall traditions… During grad school I used to get a ton of apples at the farmers market and share them with other grad students, but I haven’t done something like that in a while. I usually don’t decorate for fall, though this year with a house (and hopefully trick or treaters!), I’m thinking of decorating for Halloween…