In the Kitchen with The Anxious Enthusiast

Equinox Love: A List of Mindful Ways to Feel Fall

I choose to celebrate the equinox with these 32 ideas to bring fall to me

It’s supposed to be fall, but I live in Texas and so fall it is most definitely not. That doesn’t keep me from my hunger for the cooling nights, starry and pleasantly void, and fall hues of Northern trees bidding farewell to their leafy coverings in preparation for their impending winter rest.

That is not to say I carry any love for the deep chill of Northern winters. I remember well the icing of blood within my veins, begging me to question if I would ever be warm again.

I moved South for the sun to keep myself from the cold and lack of sunshine that immobilized the synapses in my mind, drove my anxiety to fever, and got me SAD.

I have been in Dallas for almost 8 years now and my mid-Michigan-born stuffings are still confused to endure 85 degrees at Halloween and often at Christmas. Despite my desire for a sprinkling of the seasons of my youth, I appreciate the sun and it’s cheekiness, showing up almost every day to warm — and sometimes fry — my synapses.

I cannot control the weather, but I continue to claim the feeling of fall because it pleases me. It’s going to be 97 degrees today, but I cope with the oppressive, encompassing heat of the Texas summer that may stretch well into November.

Coping sometimes looks like faking it and so I will fake fall to the best of my ability by bundling and cozying up as much as my tolerance will allow, decorating my home and spaces with symbols of the changing seasons, and participating in and planning activities that help me feel fall.

In honor of the equinox and feeling fall, I will:

1. Buy fresh flowers in autumn-leaf-tour colors to adorn my space.
2. Reconfigure the furniture and flow in the dining room to add more light and create more space for friendsgiving guests.
3. Explore the use of silk leaves in table centerpieces and wreaths.
4. Declutter and organize my fall decorations as I pull them for use.
5. Decorate the hearth with tiny pumpkins and fairy lights.
6. Just add plaid!
7. Take a walk on my favorite walking trail as the mornings cool, with friends or with my dogs.
8. Pumpkin. Spice. Everything.
9. Make a roast.
10. Plan a fall dinner for my friends or family.
11. Peruse fun Halloween costume ideas online.
12. Take my dog to the bookstore to go cookbook shopping.
13. Read fall recipes.
14. Go to my favorite market and pick out a selection of in-season produce and other treats.
15. Light a warm, apple spice candle.
16. Do a jigsaw puzzle.
17. Listen to French Cooking Radio on Pandora.
18. Order an iced chai latte.
19. Attend a local Oktoberfest event.
20. Pick out a delectable chestnut cheese to eat in crumbly, nutty chunks as a part of my breakfast small plate.
21. Enjoy the re-entry of large, knobbly squashes and pumpkins on display at local shops.
22. Treat myself to a decadent and maple-syrup-laden pumpkin pancake at my favorite breakfast spot.
23. Go to bed early; slip off to sleep with the setting of the sun.
24. Celebrate the equinox with presence, mindfulness, and fun.
25. Drink red wine as a pairing to an increasing number of dishes because it makes me feel spicy and succulent on the inside.
26. Awake early to enjoy the quiet stirrings of the wheel of the year as it turns.
27. Move my scarves and sweaters into view, even if I’m not wearing them yet.
28. Accept change as it comes. After all, this is a season of transformation and magic.
29. Embrace the promise of the harvest as a series of ends and beginnings.
30. Plant herbs in my pot garden for Texas’ fall growing season and my own winter cookery.
31. Drink apple cider with gooey, homemade chocolate chip cookies.
32. Write about missing fall and share it with friends.

Please feel free to check out my profile: Brett Jenae Tomlin. Comment below if we have something in common, if you have anxiety or if you like what you’ve read. Do you have any questions for me?

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