Boots, Scarves, and Pumpkin Spiced Lattes

Courtesy of Mack's Apples in Londonderry, NH

It’s that time of year again, my favorite time of year. Fall! I celebrated this weekend by apple picking with my boyfriend, Phil (see his picture above...) I ceremoniously wore my boots to work today, I just couldn’t help myself! This is the season for apples and pumpkins, costumes and scarves. I usually go into hibernation mode, eating apple crisp, apple pie, and apple tarts all while caring less about the calories and fat content. Bring it on!

Autumn. Who can resist the mixture of cool and warm temperatures? Perfect for drinking a cup of coffee outside on the porch or sipping a glass of wine on the back patio… The mornings are cool and the afternoons, mild. It’s the perfect running season, which makes me more than happy (no longer do I have to worry about sweating profusely or not being able to breathe correctly due to the extra moisture in the air). These spectacular temperatures are caused by the Earth non-tilt; fall is characterized by an equinox, when Earth is neither tilted toward nor away from the Sun. (Yup, you can call me Sheldon…). Our equator is in perfect line with the Sun.

The weather that is created from this non-tilt creates instances when a light jacket and an accent scarf are not only considered fashionable but serve a purpose, especially here in New England. I love wearing a sweatshirt on a Sunday afternoon watching my beloved New England Patriots plow their opponents (more recently choke, but it’s early in the season people…don’t lose hope!). This behavior only feels right in September, October, and November. (I know that the football season extends into winter, but watching a game at Gillette is so much better when you don’t have to don 16 layers of clothing…)

Now, I know that Spring is supposed to be a time of new beginnings, but for some reason I feel this renewal in Fall. The world changes, from a world of green and luscious plants to a dreamscape of bright colors. Most trees release chemicals causing their leaves to change, chemicals that only exist when the weather changes from sweltering to cool. Yes, the leaves may fall off the trees, but it makes way for new life, new beginnings. It rids itself of the old and paves way for the new.

So here’s to a new beginning. Enjoy the weather fellow New Englanders! Buy a pumpkin spiced latte. Wear those boots proudly. And know that life keeps moving, changing, closing doors to one season and opening others to different opportunities, positive changes and exciting prospects. Here’s to Fall!

9/11

On this eleventh anniversary of this somber day, I am dedicating this post to remembrance. This day, exactly eleven years ago, I was laying in my bed thinking. It had been a day of confusion...I felt lost and scared and alone. I remember I was in sixth grade, sitting in what was supposed to be the block I had Spanish. A guidance counselor was telling us the most up-to-date information about the attacks, waiting for us to ask questions. I was nervous. What if I had family flying that day? My Nana was in Las Vegas trying to get home... Was she involved in any way?

After hearing that my Nana was safe in Las Vegas, I watched the news with my parents. I stared at the images of firefighters rummaging through steaming piles of scrap metal. It was had to believe that it was once intricately welded into some of the tallest buildings in the world. It was amazing to me; something so strong and so tall reduced to dust in a matter of minutes. How would we ever recover?

But we did. We became stronger. Our true colors shone, bright and true. Red, white and blue unfading, not running. We fought and we decided to rebuild. These actions and values are what built this country:  dedication, determination, pride and freedom. Two-hundred years later these are still present in each and every one of us. At the end of the day, even in this recession, we are proud of this country and happy to live within these boarders.

So tonight I thank those physically fighting overseas for our country; you are so brave and I owe my freedoms to you. My heart and prayers are with those who lost family members eleven years ago. You are always in our hearts. Always remember. Always.

*NYC*

Chick Flicks...

Last night, I was totally "girlie"... And how did I classify this notion you ask? Well, I did my nails. Yup, that's right. For the first time in about a month my nails are perfectly rounded, not too long or short, and are rocking a taupe-mauve polish--perfect for the "professional world."

And as if this was not "girlie" enough, I also reveled in the sounds and images of a good ol' fashion chick-flick...Younger versions of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan starring in one of my favorites, Sleepless in Seattle. The perfectly witty film about a lonely, young, widower (Hanks), his caring and over concerned son, and the hopeful woman destined to make their lives complete (Ryan).

Now I'm not going to get into the unrealistic plot or the daring decision to place this winter love-story in one of the gloomiest cities in the United States. That would be too much and quite frankly ruin the happiness that I felt after watching the ending. I want to talk everything that Sleepless in Seattle is:

This film is a classic. I think it is fair to say that a majority of Americans have seen this film, or at least heard the title being thrown around in conversation. Classic scenes, like when Annie peels the skin of an apple in one long strip (coincidentally--or not--coinciding with Sam's favorite qualities about his late wife), are heat-warming to any woman in America.

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The cast of A-list actors is one of the best collaborations of our time: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Rosie O'Donnell, Rita Wilson, Bill Pullman, David Hyde Pierce, etc., etc.. An Affair to Remember is strategically integrated throughout the film to reinforce the destiny of the two main characters. It is the home of countless memorable lines, some of which can't help but make you swoon or giggle:

"Now that was when people KNEW how to be in love. They knew it! Time, distance... nothing could separate them because they knew. It was right. It was real. It was..."- Annie Reed

"I am NOT going to New York to meet some woman who could be a crazy, sick lunatic! Didn't you see Fatal Attraction?" - Sam Baldwin

I love the feeling this chick-flick film gives me. In fact I am a fan of this genre in general. Most may be sappy and lack some genius writing (whether or not this film did is debatable). But they give a girl hope. Hope that love (not just for a partner) can be found, even in the most unlikely of circumstances. Hope in the magic of destiny. Hope in the existence of happiness. And hope that one of these days, my nails are actually something worth prioritizing...at least while watching a chick-flick.