I love fall in Southwest Florida. The weather is still warm but we enjoy occasional breaks from the stifling heat, our seasonal visitors haven’t quite made their way back down for winter so the roads are still tolerable, and the holiday season is gearing up.
Being a native Floridian, the signs of autumn are very different than what I imagine our northern neighbors experience. For us it’s not the crisp air from falling temperatures or the color of the leaves changing to yellow, red or orange, blanketing our area like the brushstrokes of a beautiful painting. Our fall is marked by the scent of pumpkin candles, pumpkin cookies, even pumpkin-flavored coffee. This seasonal aroma is like a starting gun signaling it has arrived, and I can feel a rejuvenation of my spirit and an excitement welling from inside of me.
“Forced fall,” as I affectionally call it, is everywhere. There are plenty of pumpkin patches, football games, baked goods, colorful fake leaves and fall harvest wreaths hanging from front doors all over our area.
Brian Tietz
Kathryn Robinson Kinsey poses in the Richlin Interiors showroom at the Miromar Design Center in Estero.
Celebrating Thanksgiving with loved ones is another sign it’s officially arrived. It’s a time to gather together and appreciate each other. To laugh, reminisce and to feast. Even though I’ve said it plenty of times, I’m no cook, but there’s something about this time of year that brings it out of me. Maybe it’s the memories of countless casseroles and turkey legs I’ve consumed in my life, but mostly I think it’s the thankfulness I feel to have such a large, loving family to celebrate with. I’m lucky to have healthy and happy children, a wonderful partner, caring friends and a new addition to our family, Marilyn Grace, my first grandchild.
Having family close is so important. This was never more true than during Hurricane Irma. My sister and her family all live in what ended up being evacuation zones, and as the storm approached, they took shelter in my elevated home. Twelve of us weathered the winds and rain together, and in the week after the storm, some stayed with me when my power returned first. How fortunate we were when so many still struggle to recover.
In all the hustle and bustle of life, take the time to be thankful for the true meaning of this holiday, giving thanks.
— Kathryn Robinson Kinsey, Editor & General Manager