Fall = Food, fun, films, flings, festivities

It's almost as if the earth's axis makes a full 90 degree change with the onset of Fall. I can feel it in the air, I can taste it in the food, I can sense it in the company of others. For me, Fall becomes a time of bundling up on the couch with a good book or movie. A time when my cooking goes into high gear and I even engage in some baking. A time when the bars get replaced with a close group of friends in a cozy living room with plenty of wine and spirits. A time when the chill in the air brings people together. A time when I relish retreating to the dark cave of movie theaters and enjoying an escape from reality, if only for an hour or two.

This past weekend a group of close friends celebrated the big 3-0 for Elisa. It was pretty much a perfect Saturday gathering...wine, a cozy home, lots of good food, hanging out on the couches, mingling.

I loved spending the whole day shopping for food then baking and cooking. The gloomy outside made me so pleased to be indoors, enjoying wafts of warm air from the oven filled with the smell of spices. Fall ignites the senses within me...colors liven up, smells deepen, tastes soften, touches warm the soul. It's really a great time of year.