LITTLE ROCK — I decided I was going to do something different this October.
I decided I was going to actually enjoy it.
Each fall, I want to stop and take time to smell the flowers. Ooops, didn’t plant any; it seems I was too preoccupied in the spring and summer, too.
I want to stop and smell the resplendent rain-soaked leaves and autumn apple and maple tart I’m baking. Yeah, that’s not my life either.
At the very least, I want to stop and smell the Acorn Fig and Cinnamon Sugared Doughnut candles at the mall and the fried cream-cheese-and-bacon-balls at the Arkansas State Fair.
But then life gets busy. And all my autumn intentions fall like so many forgotten Smarties, peanut chews and Dum Dums lollipops to the bottom of a plastic jack-o’- lantern bucket.
Not this year. I declared I’d do something fall-ish to honor each day of what I dubbed October Appreciation Month. And I did it on Facebook, so all of my 3,140 friends — whoever they are — would hold me accountable.
Day 1 and 2: Attended Little Rock’s Main Street Food Truck Festival. Attended the annual spaghetti dinner at St. Francis Church in “Little Italy” near Bigelow (and won a ham betting $2 on the Wheel of Saints! Thanks, St. Boniface!).
Day 3: Walked outside (needed it after all that pasta, etc.), only to go shopping for Halloween stuff and discover — quiver! — White Chocolate Candy Corn M&M’s. I quickly realized celebrating fall would turn my midsection into a pumpkin.
Day 4: Watered my new mums (which I’ve remembered to do regularly. At the risk of sounding like Henry Frankenstein, “It’s alive!” Well, as of press time ...).
Day 5: Bought a bunch of wreaths and learned procrastination has its benefits — it costs 50 percent less than decorating on time.
Day 6: Breakfast for dinner in bed. Pumpkin pancakes. With a Diet Dr Pepper.
Day 7: Sizzling apple pie at Little Rock’s Cantina Laredo. “No Diet Dr Pepper here? I’ll just have a flaming coffee full of cinnamon and alcohol!”
Day 8: Bought pumpkins — the fat, ugly, warty, blemished ones that are all the rage (why can’t people trends follow pumpkin trends?).
Day 9: A Pinnacle Mountain picnic. And Pumpkin Patch Orange Pop Rocks. And then a hayride during a trip to an actual pumpkin patch (where I really got into the “fall” spirit ... by tripping and twisting my ankle).
Day 10: Caramel apples. Hey, that’s a fruit.
Day 11 through 16: Attended Tales from the Crypt at Mount Holly Cemetery, where Parkview High School students acted as notable departed Arkansans buried there. Enjoyed new scents for my home (Autumn and S’mores from Bath & Body Works) and literally wanted to eat the entire house. “Tricked” out my desk at work with a pumpkin and sunflowers. “Leafed” through fall magazines — until my cat sat on the pile. Another picnic, this time at Lake Maumelle. Watched Baltimore Ravens football with nachos and the ultimate Halloween beverage — a bloody Mary.
Day 17: Had no desire to do anything autumnal. Or anything at all. I just wanted a nap. Hmm, how to fall-ify this: “An hour of blissful hibernation!”
Day 18 through 20: Rested and refreshed, I cooked a healthful recipe, Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili (tinyurl.com/ 4359qam), so I wouldn’t feel so bad about eating hot dogs during World Series watching. Then I baked and decorated Halloween cake pops, appreciating two before I decided I might pop.
Day 21-31: Still seeking ideas!
It has been an interesting experiment — making fun an obligatory activity. But it’s one that I have enjoyed. I’m grateful for the experience.
Hmmm, grateful. Thirty days of gratitude for Thanksgiving?
“Leave” me an e-mail:
jchristman@arkansasonline.com
What’s in a Dame is a weekly report from the woman ’hood
Style, Pages 27 on 10/25/2011