Picking Pumpkins

It's finally starting to feel like October! Friday the thirteenth has come and gone and, as a parting gift, has left the 50 degree weather and October traditions behind. Only now is it acceptable temperature to wear comfy sweaters and fur-lined boots. Before, it was far too warm to break out your fall wardrobe without drowning in sweat by the end of the day. The days are getting shorter and we are all preparing to shut ourselves in for the next few months, taking advantage of the last few days that will be warm enough to be outside.
I took advantage of my "fall break" and the eerie weather to fit all of my Halloween activities into one weekend. On Sunday night, I dedicated my night to exploring Kings Island's Halloween Haunt. There were haunted houses and rides, actors walking around in costume whose only purpose is to terrify those that are already a little on edge. It makes the Halloween season all the more real being surrounded by fog and hearing shrieking from various places in the park. Halloween is supposed to be a thrill and maybe an escape from reality. A few weeks out of the year where we get to question what is real and be something we aren't.
Monday, I visited Blooms and Berries farm. I got to spend hours trying to decipher a seven-acre corn maze, drink apple cider and go on a hayride through a pumpkin patch. All of the staples of fall wrapped into one eventful day. I took home some small pumpkins to decorate and spent the day with the people I enjoyed then most. We all were able to experience something new and do it in each other's company. The cool weather brought us all a little bit closer.
It's exciting to watch the seasons change and celebrate the traditions that come with them. Stopping to enjoy the moment and take advantage of the time you are given is an important part of life. When we are able to watch and feel time progressing it motivates us to get up and seize the moment for what it is. Rather than wait for life to happen to us, we make a decision to impact life.