Top 13 Reasons Why I Love Fall

Fall is the bestest season of them all. Yes, bestest. It deserves another "est."

So like my friend Elizabeth Barrett Browning, let's count the ways! (Click here to learn more about this lit chick.)

1. Crockpots. Here are 365 crockpot recipes from Stephanie O'Dea. Because fall should really last 365 days a year. My favorite, though, is my turkey and Guinness chili.

2. Boots and 3. cardigans. Just look at this outfit.

4. Football. Sitting on couch? Yes. Yummy smells from the crockpot? Yes. Good excuse to eat naughty food? Yes. Men in tights!? Yes... and God bless America.

5. Leaves. How about we expand this idea to just the colors. Look at this photographic evidence. I can just eat it up like candy.

I should be reading on that bench.

6. Halloween. Especially reading spooky stories to get in a Gothic-kind of mood. Read Dracula by Bram Stoker or Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (click on the titles for free downloads from Project Gutenberg) to get you ready for the witching hour.

7. Disney's Halloween Treat.

8. Pumpkin. Everything! Must! Be! Pumpkin! I cannot get enough of this flavor. Here are 41 pumpkin recipes. And this is how you can make your own pumpkin spice latte at home... in a crockpot, no less! (Thanks Urban Nester.)

9. Scarves. I know, I know. Trendy. Probably one of the biggest trends right now, and it's still summer! But it's the ultimate in fashion meeting comfort. Learn 15 ways to tie a scarf from The Fashion Spot.

10. Road trips (see number 5.)

11. The Nobel in Literature laureates are announced. Still waiting for mine... still waiting to write something. Still waiting for the Nobel Prize in Blogging to come into existence {tapping pen next to keyboard while wearing my writer's hat.}

12. Summer clothes on sale. Love shopping for summer clothes in fall and winter clothes in spring.

13. Apples. Here are 11 recipes from Tree Hugger that aren't your typical pie or fritter.

Goodness sakes. Can you tell I love food? And because we celebrate literature on this blog, here is Miss Lizzy's beautiful sonnet in full:


How Do I Love Thee?
{Sonnet 43}
By Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861). Photo from Poets.org

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

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{Why the top 13? Because it's lucky to me. If you add up the numbers in Man-Beast's and my anniversary date, 3.27.10, you get 13.}