Pumpkin Fall is about to give way to Cranberries, Turkey, and delicious pies. On Saturday, we turn the calendar over to November. Is it too early to start the Christmas Music season? October provided me with some great adventures in Laurel Highlands, Slippery Rock, and the other side of Pittsburgh. How does one follow that up next month?
The color on the trees is going to go from peak to past peak to fading, if it hasn’t already. This hasn’t been the best Fall for leaf-peeping, but you can find some good color if you look hard enough. With this round of rain and windy weather, it’s just about high time to rake the leaves that do fall. Sunday we will get back that hour of sleep we lost in March. While the sun will come up early, it’s going to get dark at 5pm. Hopefully this Election Day won’t leave me feeling depressed like it did last year.
I look back at October and all the fun that I had, whether it was a simple visit to Cutie’s or the books I read. It could be traveling to my family reunion and up to Johnstown. It may have been the Mister Rogers exhibit on the Saint Vincent campus, or being in good company last weekend at the Fall Symposium. I’m ready to make up for it in November and December, preparing for the holidays, and working hard.
I’ve had my share of pumpkin spice this month, enjoying yummy fall drinks at Cutie’s like the Carrot Cake Latte and the Pumpkin Cheesecake Latte. I kicked off my coffee journey with a Maple Cutie drink and celebrated Fall with a Pumpkin Spice Latte. Christmas is coming (but let’s enjoy Thanksgiving first). What am I going to enjoy at Cutie’s when the new menu launches on November 8?
I had a butterbeer chai when I stopped there on Wednesday. Did it make me feel like I was at Hogwarts? The Harry Potter flights would be great to share with a friend, and so would a Gilmore Girls flight. To answer my question, I think my first Cutie Christmas choice would have to be the White Chocolate Mocha. On deck are the Peppermint White Mocha and the Gingerbread Latte. Close to Thanksgiving I’ll have to try the Little Cutie Tree Latte.
I missed out on pumpkin beer this month, but I want to at least try a holiday beer this season. I might have to try Winter Lager and Old Fezziwig. That should get me through the holiday. Onto my reading journey.
I think I picked a few bestsellers. Meet Me at Luke’s is a home run for the person who eats, drinks, and breathes Gilmore Girls. I’m taking my time with the read and will continue with it next month. Perfect for the road trip to Ligonier (though it may be getting too cold to read in the Diamond) or any other Stars Hollow. I’ve also stumbled upon Gilmore-related podcasts that talk about the book and the show.
I’m halfway through the fall romance novel, “If It Makes You Happy”. It’s the Gilmore Girls meets When Harry Met Sally (or any other rom-com you can think of). I want the main characters to have a happy ending. Like Gilmore Girls, this book also has a wacky cast of characters, as well as an inn and plenty of baked goods. It’s the perfect Fall read set during the perfect decade and it takes place in the most beautiful part of New England.
Read like a Gilmore Girl and eat like a Gilmore Girl.
Also, I am enjoying Matriarch by Tina Knowles. I’m currently reading through her childhood growing up in Galveston, Texas and learning about her teenage years. I will eventually get to Destiny’s Child (Tina is the mother of pop music icon Beyonce). However, once Thanksgiving gets here, Matriarch may go on hiatus until after Christmas so I can focus on holiday reading.
In September, I began watching the new season of the Great British Baking Show. I’ve watched it in bits and pieces and have seen older episodes of the show. But this time, I really committed to watching it. It’s down to the final two episodes with the finale set to air next week.
Next week, I’ll begin another season of the Holiday Baking Championship. The series airs Monday night on Food Network and will run up to Christmas week.
As I said earlier in the week, next month in the NFL will be when good teams start to put themselves in position for the postseason. That, or draft positioning for 2026. Coaches on the hot seat are also going to be fighting for their job. There are a lot of big games coming up. NFL-related Instagram pages have been a godsend for me and I enjoy reading all of the insight.
Finally, with the Thanksgiving holiday coming, we need to be grateful for all of the opportunities we’ve been given. Make this holiday a good one free of arguing and political discussions. After the turkey and stuffing and pumpkin pie are eaten, we will get our Christmas decorations out and put up the tree.
Stylish 🍒 