A Small Memoir by Hayley H (creator and writer of The Story Files Blog)
I look forward to autumn all year round because it’s my favourite season, though actually trying to describe why to someone is difficult. Firstly, there is Halloween. I’m a Goth at heart and love dark and spooky things. We don’t celebrate Halloween in England like some other countries do and it always feels low key here. I love collecting Halloween themed stuff and decorating my house on the actual day –party or no party, visitors or no visitors. I’m not sure why I do enjoy it, but it’s just something that has happened over the years. The dressing up side, I’ve never gotten into, but I do love seeing people in costumes.
Over the last few years, I’ve also taken over carving the pumpkin from my dad and developed a love for it. It’s something I look forward to the whole of October and I spent a lot of time looking at pumpkins and debating which one(s) to get! In addition, I spend hours surfing the web looking for ideas and designs. So far, I’ve done a haunted house, a dragon, a wolf howling at a full moon and a headless horseman.
The pumpkins don’t go to waste in my house and this ties in with the next thing I like about autumn – pumpkin pie and spices. Pumpkin pie has to be my all-time favourite desert, but I know for a fact that it’s not very popular in the UK with most people getting the wrong idea about the smell and texture. A great example of this happened about three years ago when I was living in a student house and I had a Halloween party with my housemates and some of their friends. I made pumpkin pie and no one showed that much interested in it. But the next day, my best friend and everyone on her Biology course were going on a field weekend (I think it was to Wales or Scotland to do some research thing) and she asked if she could take half of the pie with her because she had really liked it. I agreed and when she came back she told she had shared it with her classmates and tutors on the train and everyone really enjoyed it. Plus, it was a good hangover cure!
I love cinnamon, the smell, the taste and colour. I’m always trying to sneak it into my food somehow! Plus, I love ginger, nutmeg and cloves too. All these are the spices found commonly used in autumn/winter food. Together with pumpkin and cream, they are just amazing! Autumn really has to be the best time of year for food. I don’t know why that is but something about it boarding summer and winter could have to do with it. I do most of my baking at this time of year too, I guess I just feel so inspired. Of course, everything ends up being Halloween themed!
Putting that aside, I enjoy nature the best in autumn. I love seeing the trees and plants turning with their bright colours and everything being covered by the fallen leaves. I like collecting leaves and twigs etc and getting creative with them in arts/craft projects. I’m a really big fan of being nature inside, though I spend a lot of time outside during this season. I liked watching the birds and animals rushing about too, they always seem so active to me at this time of year too. My local woods is a great place to see all this happening and my dog is really into chasing squirrels and wood pigeons.
So, beside from those normal things, what am I actually looking forward to this fall? For nearly all of my life it signalled the start of going back or into education and it’s only been in the last three years now that I’ve not been picking up university or college stuff. I do wish that wasn’t the case as I’d love to go back and do something in the same vein or completely different (Money is the issue). I did look forward to doing that, on the other hand it now feels like I’m constantly in summer! My part time job doesn’t give me that many hours and my time goes into writing, reading, the internet, music and TV/films.
That idea could sound like a dream to some people, but I’m getting tired of it fast. So this fall, I’d like to find another source of income, save up, get my first car, have a few adventures with my boyfriend/friends and start editing my novel. That seems like a lot to do in just three months, but taking the small steps means it’ll carry on instead of it being packed in.
What do you love about autumn and what are you looking forward too? Let me know in the comments and also if you’d like me to do another of these small memoirs. As always please like, follow and spread the word. I’ve had no submissions for my October short story request yet, so if you are interested, please check out the posts below for further details. I’m really looking forward to hearing from you.
Hayley
The Story Files 