One tall vanilla steamer please

I can positively say that I am consistently the last person to arrive at the airport for a flight, sometimes cutting it at close as 30 minutes. I can also say I’m often times the last person to board the plane. But I can’t say, until today, that I’ve ever been paged for a flight, followed by “your aircraft is completely loaded and ready for take off”. I can only laugh now, writing this while on the airplane. I wasn’t late because I was in traffic, or visiting with family, or that I got tied up at work. No, no, I had to stop at Starbucks and buy my first steamer of the fall, and I took my leisure at sipping it before going through security. I enjoyed every rich mouthful that passed my lips. See, when I got out of the car at the airport in St. Louis, it was just cold enough to constitute the need for a jacket, which for me is so exciting because my favorite season is upon us…Fall.

A tall vanilla steamer with cinnamon reminds me of so much:

It reminds me of getting all bundled up and walking up and down Pearl, arm in arm with Double B’s, on a chilly night. Then curling up with the dogs for a short night's sleep.

It means that everything I cook from here out will include pumpkin, when appropriate, and sometimes when not appropriate. Person A used to get out of bed excided for the smell of pancakes wafting from the kitchen, only to discover that I had included pumpkin in the pancake batter. Here’s another example: “What are you making hun?” “Homemade ice cream” “Yum, what kind?” “Pumpkin!” A conversation which was always met with slight disappointment. My cooking habits this fall will be no different.

All of my favorite activities happen in the Fall. Heather, Cherie and I will get together for our annual baking day some Sunday in October. I’ll host “Donuts and Devotions” where I make homemade donuts out of my grandma’s secret recipe and provide a multitude of toppings for my guests to choose from. Jen and Vaf have their Fall Festival, when we play games and laugh until we can’t breath and attempt to light their house on fire. Halloween is always a hoot in my neighborhood, I love seeing the kids all dressed up and harassing the ones who are way too old to Trick or Treat but do so anyway. And of course my birthday. This year will be special, as it is one to really celebrate. I’ll be 30 and ready to embark on the next and most important phase of my life.