Fall-Time Favorites

Everyday as we walk to and from the bus stop my daughter points out the changing colors of the leaves. A few red and gold ones sprinkle the ground and she gasps in awe that fall is finally here. She's not alone because as autumn gains momentum I feel myself coming alive.  I'm not upset over shorter days and cooler temperatures. No, that's my hubby. For me fall is a favorite because of the beautiful scenery, fuzzy sweaters, comfort food and county fairs/festivals (with more yummy food)! On top of that my birthday comes and I get to bless the Lord for giving me another year of happiness and health. It's that perfect balance of not too hot and not too cold and the promise of pumpkins then soon, Thanksgiving turkey.  There's apple picking (I've already had my share of Honeycrisp this season) and plenty of cider and pie to go around. Sweet potato prices are dropping and the evenings get lovelier as the sun lowers in the sky. I breath a sigh of relief at the whole predictable order of nature and just relax into the lazy days of fall.

What are some of your favorite fall activities? Post a comment to share.

Blessings,

Polly

Home at last! Hey, Sterling!

SterlingFest 2008 went off without a hitch yesterday. The weather was clear, beautiful and warm; just a lovely autumn day. This was our first time vending in Virginia and in my own community no less. Tamika and I both thought it was a great opportunity to see how a more diverse population would respond to our book.

It was wonderful. There were lots of people who were a bit standoffish (is that a word?) and we weren't sure what the deal was with that, but then there were the young girls who were drawn to our table and brought parents along. And the elderly who sort of wandered over waiting for us to speak first, before they would say anything. In between that were all manner of folk--- all shades and nationalities, who wanted to at the least just say hello or pat us on the back for making it that far. Funniest still were the non-english speaking ladies who tried to take copies of the book because they thought they were free. That happened twice but they politely put them back when asked. We received tons of questions about Sisters Are From Heaven, and many well wishes for success. And yes, we sold a few copies too!

At these events we always meet someone who has a book idea of their own and needs to know how to get started or how we did it. So it's our duty to make sure they are educated (as best we can), as well as, inspired to keep going until they get published.

The community event was fun and engaging. Even though it got downright hot after a while, we pulled our sun hats low and pressed on while chatting, selling and watching all the families have a good time. My husband brought the kids over so they could partake in the festivities too. Auntie Meek and I were both delighted to see them and it was a great for the three of them to see what I mean when I say, "Mommy has to work." We chowed down on some wonderful cuisine, shout out to Kabob Delicioso of Sterling, listened to live music and as always checked out other vendors for ideas and to see interesting crafts for sell. We made a few contacts and may even have our next gig thanks to the family vending beside us. All in all it was a fruitful day.