Attempting Autumn

I love fall. I don't know what it is about the first day I have to wear jeans and a jacket or about spotting the first colored leaf on a tree or on the ground, but the feeling I get is close to what a child must feel when you tell them their birthday is next week.  I'm not sure why I feel that way--perhaps happy childhood memories of carving pumpkins and drawing pictures of pilgrims and indians and eating pumpkin pie that had more cool whip than pie.  I think now it's the beginning of a whoe

I was a little concerned that I would experience major homesickness during this season without pumpkin spice lattes and premature Christmas decorations in Target.  And to be honest, I have had a few bouts of sadness, thinking of what Eastern Parkway in Louisville must look like right now.  And I may or may not have almost shed tears of bittersweet happiness in seeing really ugly artificial leaves strung above the cash registers at Wal-mart.  But I have experienced great joy in seeing this city beautified by orange and yellow and red flowers, at all the entrance ways to universities and complexes--in part in celebration China's National Day in early October and in part because fall is known to be this city's most pleasant season.  These displays inspired me to get out and find the flower market that people had told me was in our neighborhood.  I knew the general vicinity, so one day after class, I hopped on my bike and decided to ride around until I found it. I must say, my discovery of it was one of my proudest "Chinese" moments yet because it was the first time that I actually found something by reading the sign!  No English, no pinyin, only characters.  And I read them.  Woot.

We've also enjoyed buying some pumpkins and making fun things with pumpkin puree. It's never officially fall in my heart until I make the first batch of my friend Cindy's pumpkin bread (recipe to come).