Second National Fall Foliage Week

Welcome to the second, official year of National Fall Foliage Week, which will be held every year on the last Sunday of each September, and lasting a week. I didn't create this Holiday for marketing purposes or even to sell anything. The sole premise behind this observation is to get families together and enjoy nature at its' most beautiful.

Dedicating not only a time in September when families came together for the harvest of the winter crop, but starting on the allocated day of rest, frolic and beauty that was, and is, Sunday. Even during the 17th and 18th centuries, the people of New England put down their items of labor, went to church and spent the remainder of Sundays in repose. Those sunset tinged leaves that blanket the country side are the perfect setting for family chatter as you trapse through the countryside or simply down any tree-lined street. It was a time to relax and find out about your sons or daughters love interests or the gossip spreading through town.

You can smell the cleansing of the air as the atmosphere briskly changes from a sweater to a coat. But above all, the autumnal colors reinvigorated family togetherness, much as it does today. Keeping this splendid time of year alive through a National Holiday/Observance means keeping our past alive and our families together. It is a day when we should all take a walk among those crimson and gold leaves, above us and below, smile and talk to your kids, loved ones or simply to rid yourself of stress. Better yet, gather the family and go apple picking. This is the perfect time of year for some freshly picked apples for baking, canning("putting up" as we say here in New England)or simply eating.

As every generation goes by, we find ourselves with less and less time to do these amazingly simple things. So maybe, just maybe, a little "kick in the pants"(much like my Dad humorously did to me as we walked in the colorful woods if I slowed my pace down)is what we need in order to observe what is truly important in our lives. Beauty, nature and family.

So take at least one day out of this week to take a walk on that path you trod as a child or under the vivid hues of the leafy umbrella that once beckoned our ancestors time of harvest. But don't forget to put that roast in the oven, along with a pie or two in order to keep that amazing, comforting feeling with you as long as possible.