Pumpkin Spiced What???

  
I love love love Autumn in Nashville.  As the heat of the summer disappears, I welcome the chance to turn off the air conditioning, throw open the windows and get outside again!  And as someone who is far from their physical best, putting the shorts away in favour of leggings (no debate here-they are definitely considered pants in my closet) is a happy calendar day.  I can rock a cable sweater with the best of them.  There is always next summer…

Autumn is choc full of fun.  Everyone seems to put their differences aside and join each other in celebrating the end of sweating while walking to check the letterbox.  And the death of mosquitos.  And not having to put sunscreen on your kids.  And see your kids go back to school.  Yes I know there are Mothers out there that claim they are sad when their 10 weeks of togetherness comes to an end but they are not my people.  The entire month of June is a mind numbing routine of breakfast/sunscreen/swim team/pool for hours/repeat and I can’t wait to pack the kids and husband in to the car for a month on the open road where cooler temps beckon…   

We arrived in New Zealand on the 29th of January to the best summer in 40 years.  The weather has been nothing short of incredible.  According to the calendar, Autumn is in full effect here but it is difficult to tell.  In the States, Autumn means our weekends are packed with pumpkin patch visits(kiwis don’t ask), leaf piles that beg to be jumped in, weather perfect for entertaining outside and an endless rotation of s’mores for the kids and delicious New Zealand Pinot Noirs for Jeff and I. From the pumpkin spiced latte that the baristas peddle at every opportunity to front porches decorated with pumpkins and hay bales, it’s in your face amazing.  But it’s exhausting.  I always find myself trailing behind my kids stealing lollies from strangers (otherwise known as Halloween) breathing the crisp air and secretly counting down the minutes until the said thieves are satiated and we can all go home and relax.

Here in Wellington, everything is still green.  Autumn, as far as I can tell, is simply a season to slow down and enjoy the different veggies on offer from the farmers market or the new menu at your favourite local bistro.  It is the start of Rugby season and roasts on a Sunday.  The pace in an already relaxed country seems to relax even further. Pure heaven.  And have we talked about the red wine game in New Zealand??

Last week, my girlfriend and I headed to a lovely local restaurant in the heart of the city for lunch.  I couldn’t believe my eyes.  Pumpkins!  They were casually piled up and provided just the right pop of colour to this beautifully simple space.  The menu reflected the Autumn season and everything was delicious.

  
 
Soon after I return to Nashville, summer will be winding down (kids will be going back to school!) and the usual anticipation for Autumn will begin.  I plan on taking a page out of my kiwi playbook and pushing pause more often.  But not before stocking up on wine and s’mores…