Sunday, October 10, 2010

The Best [Decorations] in Life are Free

I have often lamented (but successfully kept myself from dwelling on) the fact that the change of the seasons just isn't celebrated in the same way here that it is back home.

At this time of year I love when people talk (or write) about taking their children to pumpkin patches and cider mills. Who doesn't love pumpkin patches and cider mills? I know I do!

So I consider it rather (extremely) sad that none of my kids have ever been to either. The closest we have gotten is rummaging through a smallish box of misshapen, mostly pale peach colored pumpkins at the grocery store, which somehow feels less festive than strolling through a pumpkin patch.

When summer ends back home, you know it. (even if the weather is still scorching) Everywhere you go you find seasonal decoration. Brightly colored leaves hang from the ceiling in grocery stores, shops have harvesty window decorations and, of course the candy aisle reflects the changing seasons with fall colored packaging and Halloween candy.

In Poland you will find none of those things*. You are not hit with "It's fall!" in every store, office, library or school where you may be running errands. I miss being hit like that.

On the other hand, Poland does a pretty dang good job of decorating for fall. There may be no autumn ambiance indoors, but you feel it everywhere else. The air is crisp and mornings are often foggy (oh how I love foggy mornings!). The beautiful trees that I admire year round put on their most colorful apparel. Showers of leaves fall with every gust of wind and those leaves, horse chestnuts and acorns crunch underfoot everywhere you go.

I miss the human-enhanced sense of fall back home (which I know is accompanied by the beauty of what nature has to offer), but I also love the purity of the fall that is experienced here and find that it is enough.

Of course Halloween is a different story. Well, the same story, too, I guess. There are no Halloween decorations. There is no Halloween candy. There are no corn mazes or haunted houses.

But we do have these.


It takes a little time but admittedly very little effort (and no money) to have a collection of the best, most authentic Halloween decorations possible. Most of the time they are invisible, but go out in the darkening, chilly and misty evening and you will find them delightfully beaded with moisture and creepy as can be.

Also, I promise if I ever feel the urge to post any more pictures of fences I will start a separate fence blog on which to post them. (and I believe Erin asked what our fence looks like. Now you know. Boring, but pretty great for Halloween!) (and people keep asking if they're real. Yes, they are. Aren't spiders awesome?)

*at least not in our medium-small city

15 comments:

Erin said...

I am really scared to ask what the spiders look like that go along with those decorations. Wow.

P.S. I think the fences are pretty cool!

Melissa said...

Those are the biggest spider webs I have ever seen. They look like they could catch your child.

Karen E. said...

Those spider webs are so cool! Fall sounds lovely in Poland.

Erin said...

Wow, none of my spiders make such perfectly symmetrical, store bought looking webs. You have some seriously talent over there! I hadn't been to a pumpkin patch until we moved to Kansas and I think I had a pretty good childhood. So I think your kids are not missing a thing. I think it is awesome that you teach them to appreciate nature.

Lindsay said...

Please tell me those spider webs are fake. Please.

Carolyn V. said...

Are those real???? They are awesome! How beautiful (and a little scary).

Alison Wonderland said...

Awesome. I'll trade, that's the kind of Halloween decorating that I could really get behind.

Andi Kate, Children's Author said...

Those webs do look perfect! I think it makes sense that they live at your house. :)

gramalee said...

I'm thinking those arachnoid architects moved in after my visit last March. Yes? (teeth chatter) Yes??

Kazzy said...

I hate hate hate spiders, but I think those webs are incredibly artistic.

Heather of the EO said...

WOW. Just WOW. I think they're BEAUTIFUL. Miracles. Amazing. Huge.

I could do without the spiders that go with them, but...

I'd be waiting for a written message from Charolette if I were you :)

Melanie Jacobson said...

Those are dang awesome.

Anonymous said...

It's true. God is the best decorator. ;) Those are gorgeous, truly.

Happy Fall!

Ola Zan said...

You are so funny Lisa. You made me lough with these spider webs.:)
There's a lot about fall going on at schools, preschools and libraries. But yes, it's not everywhere. I think in America everything is "so exciting". So is fall. And I love that kind of attidtude. This week we went for our weekly activities at our library and played with fall treasures. Oh, it was fun. The only thing that made me just a little dissappointed was that the teacher asked "Who painted these bautiful leaves? Who created these acorns and chestnuts?" .Someone responded :"MRS.FALL!!!" which was supposed to be CORRECT. ANd it almost made me cry because I taught my children different than that....

Susan said...

I showed the pics to Beth, she said,
"Did they make those with yarn?" after I said no she said "Did spiders make them? On purpose?" and Finally she said "I want OUR house to be decorated by spiders!"