THE LEAVES OF AUTUMN
The leaves of autumn enthrall us with their brilliance. They lift our spirits, bring back memories, and add joy and color to our lives. On the way home from doing errands today, I took the long way around so I could enjoy the lovely, colorful scenery. Even though some of the brilliance is waning, the scenery was joyous.
Some Autumn Sights and Sounds….
° Watching youngsters frolicking joyfully in piles of leaves.
° Walking along paths and sidewalks as we swish our feet and hear leaves crackle
° Looking for stonewalls winding around the edges of fields and old home sites
° Listening to squirrels scampering among fallen leaves as they search for acorns to store as winter food
° Gazing at mountains dotted with vibrant color
° Enjoying the crisp, cool air, especially with sun and breezes
° Looking at frost in the morning that formed on the grass and garden overnight
° Picking apples on school field trips or family outings
° Enjoying the aroma of apple cooking (applesauce, pie, cobbler and cake) in the kitchen
° Spying colorful pumpkins in fields, at farm stands and on front porches
Apple Cake…I recall, when I was substitute teaching, of making this cake with the help of first graders after their apple picking field trip. Their teacher asked me to call upon each of the 10 children to perform a task. They were thrilled.
Start with a box of yellow or vanilla cake mix. (You could substitute spice cake mix.) Follow the directions on the box for mixing the cake. Pour into a greased 9×13-inch pan.
Place thin apple slices over the entire top of the cake. Mix together granulated sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle this over the cake and apples. Bake according to the directions on the box.
(Of course, we had no oven in the classroom. So I took it to the kitchen where the chef’s assistant baked it for us.) Later in the day, the youngsters enjoyed the cake made from apples they had picked.
(c) Mary Emma Allen
(Mary Emma Allen researches and writes about family history from her New Hampshire home.)
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