FALLING OVER AUTUMN IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA

by Judy Ann Davis

John Sloane: Taste of Autumn

Central Pennsylvania has had its first frost. Our rainbow colored leaves have turned brown and floated downward into heaps on the ground. If you wander outside, the scent of smoke wood floats on the air from wood-burning stoves in the neighborhood. Birds of summer have vanished. Apples, pears, and grapes fill the market bins. These are all signs it’s time to hunker down and get ready for old man winter.

With outside temperature dropping, I like to turn on our gas fireplace in the family room to grab some extra warmth and also to enjoy the vibrant flickering flames. I dig out my glass pumpkins for the living room and fall decorations for the front door. And finally, I search my cupboards for my favorite candles.

Candles have a history of dating back into the B.C. periods. Everything from tallow, beeswax, whale oils, and animal fats was used to fashion them, even if rather crudely. While Romans used oil lamps for light, they began dipping candles from tallow (beef or
mutton fat) around 1000 B.C.

Pixabay

There is something mesmerizing about a lit candle during the colder months. Maybe it’s the flicking flame, maybe it’s the warmth of fire, maybe it’s the scent, or maybe it’s the candle’s ability to help illuminate a darker time of the year. Whatever the enticement, I find myself lighting one during our evening meal and later when I’m writing or watching television.

Of course, there are also the usual activities to enjoy during autumn: Drinking cider, tasting apple sauce, accruing more books than I could possibly read, and searching the closets for jeans, scarves, vests, and warm clothing.

So here’s wishing you a great autumn season ahead with colorful harvest skies and tasty pumpkin pies. Oh, and some candles for light to make your world bright!

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