Thursday 13: Confessions, volume VIII, the Fall edition

For the first time in months and months, I woke up to the sound of rain in Sacramento. Aside from a smidge bit of drought relief, the rain put me into a Fall state of mind. So, for Thursday 13, a few Fall-themed confessions...

1. I hate Fuji apples. They are the woefully overused variety of the apple kingdom and I refuse to eat them. All hail Granny Smith, Pink Lady and Jonagold!

2. I maintain a pumpkin fetish. And so I put them everywhere. Decorative stakes in the yard. Wooden carvings on the front door. In groups and piles around the house. Fresh, paper, plastic, wood... Love them all.

Related: For the Love of Pumpkins

3. Fall decorations are almost as much fun as Christmas. Almost.

4. I suffer from oak tree induced rage. And it becomes more pronounced this time of year. Yes, they're beautiful, majestic trees, blah blah. And they make beautiful, majestic piles of leaves and oak balls and acorns. For MONTHS. And that's not all. They also drop acid (literal drops of paint and plant killing acid) and caterpillars to eat my garden plants. And those acorns? The ones squirrels half-eat and then bury? They sprout baby oaks everywhere. Argh.

I've collected two bucketfuls this month. Anyone need acorns??

5. I cook soup to conjure Fall weather. It doesn't really work, but I try!

6. Planting seeds, does however. It never fails, the minute I put out seeds in my garden, a rain storm will kick up (like today's blessedly beautiful rain in Sacramento). Therefore, I must plant seeds every day, right?

7. I love a good Halloween party. And it occurs to me, I haven't been to one in years!

Ah, grad school nerds in costume. Yours truly was Katy Perry-as-Elmo (see more here).

8. I miss Trick or Treating. Dressing up. Walking the streets with other goofy costumed kids. The secret thrill of finding the holy grail house with full size candy bars. Those were the days.

9. Kids need at least two pieces of candy. Trick or Treat calorie economics says Shawna needs no Halloween candy in the house. Therefore, kids must take at least two. And by the end of the night, two whole handfuls. And one lucky kid will get the rest of the bucket before we shut out the lights. (Did I ever tell you about the time I bought Halloween candy at the end of September and then had to rebuy it at the end of October? No wonder my pants never fit.)

Second from left, my scarecrow shame.

10. I still haven't forgiven my mother for the Scarecrow costume. While my little sister got to be Dorothy, with her red sparkly shoes, yours truly trotted dolefully around with straw exploding from every crevice. My mom and the gang at Hoshall Salon and Spa in Carmichael had chosen Wizard of Oz for their Halloween theme, and while even my mom got the cool Tin Man costume, tween Shawna suffered in the least cute costume EVER.

11. Goliath gets a costume. For a minute, anyway. Last year, he was a bat for about 35 seconds before shaking off his ears. Mr. T threatens to report me for animal cruelty, but I can't help it that I find dogs in costume hilarious.

12. I haven't been to Apple Hill in eons. About an hour up the road live lovely apple and berry orchards where thousands flock every Fall for crafts, apple fritters, cider and the like. Although the idea greatly appeals to me--apple donuts, man!--I can never bring myself to actually make the drive and battle the tourist trap traffic.

13. I'm more than a little excited for Fall TV to be back. T-9 hours until Scandal! That is all.

Any Fall-ish confessions you'd like to share!?

xoxo,
shawna

Confessions:

• Confessions Volume I
• Confessions Volume II
• Confessions Volume III
• Confessions Volume IV, Thanksgiving edition 
• Confessions Volume V
• Confessions Volume VI
• Confessions Volume VII, the political edition