Fall Back into Place

Fall to me is synonymous with comfort. It seems that all things fall into place this time of year.  I am calmer, I am happier and I am able to reflect on subjects rather than attack them with my opinions. 
I am not sure what it is about fall that makes me feel like I am back where I should be.  It could have something to do with the fact that way back when I was in school, starting the routine was so safe and comforting.  I don't think I ever saw it that way but I can trace certain feelings back to that.  Things from the rumble of the bus under my saddle shoes in grade school to the dust up of falling leaves under the tires of the car as we jetted off to high school.

These days I think my fall routine has more to do with cooking than with anything else.  Cooking is comforting to me because I have gotten to a point where I can follow a recipe, or not and still have a good outcome.  I am comforted by the warmth and the scents and the jazz music that I usually play while I cook. A poof of flour is easily dusted up without the humidity of the summer and the oven can be on without the need to strip down to a sports bra and running shorts.

I love that I can have a taste of fall by just heating up some apple cider and sipping it as I read my favorite book.  Favorite books and a cup of something hot are always a soothing combination.  They allow my mind to wander within the realm of the world of the book and my eyes gently follow the words instead of devouring new material that I have a tendency to speed through. 

I will sit outside tonight after a fall dinner of ribs, roasted root veggies, and salad, a half smile on my face, a cup of tea in hand as my mind wanders through Middle Earth.  I will be happy, peaceful and

comforted.