[Tim]

The biggest thing I remember about fall in Michigan City is the smell of burning leaves. I remember when burning was outlawed in MC, but you could still burn in Trail Creek. We'd always take a drive though Trail Creek in the fall just to smell that. I imagine burning's long outlawed in TC too - right? My mother sends me leaves from her backyard every fall - I always light on up - it smells just the same.

Of course, back-to-school memories are fall memories. The smell of a fresh box of Crayolas - or the smell of new tennis shoes for gym class. Seems like most of my fall memories are of smells.

My parents have a huge back yard in Edgewood - raking that sucker was NOT fun. THEN getting it all out to the street - not a fun fall memory.

Maybe the most poignant fall memory was the Saturday mom and dad put in the storm windows. That night, we'd have our first fire in the fireplace. We were at the edge of hibernation mode - and after a long hot summer, it felt good to be hunkering down for the coming cold weather together.

Wow - now I have to call my mom!

What about you? Share your MC fall memories!

[Roger Kaputnik]

I grew up in a neighborhood with about 25 kids in a two-block zone. We would collect the bountiful acorns from the huge, old oaks. With these sackfuls, we would range all over the neighborhood, up and down the alleys, into the adjacent woods, across backyards, nailing each other with the little nuts. As noted elsewhere, we would use the lids of the steel garbage cans as shields, pings echoing. I can still smell the leaf-piles we would hide in to pop out in ambush, and the feel of the little sharp tips of the acorns.

[Ang]

My grandparents lived on Warnke Rd just off 212. Grandpa would rake the leaves into these GREAT BIG piles all over the yard. We would run and jump into the piles scattering the leaves all over the place. Grandpa would rake em up again and we would do it all over. I remember the smell of the leaves and picking the little pieces out of my hair and clothing.

Aaahhhh, to be 10 again.

(good thread Tim, thanks for bringing the memories back!)

[Tim]

Thanks, Ang. I really think my favorite thing/memory about fall where I grew up was that whole shutting up the house and getting ready to huddle through another winter together. Of course, by spring you can't stand each other - ha ha - but there's just something about that "gathering in the cave" thing that I'll always remember fondly.

[digger262]

Wow, having been in Florida the last 11 Falls, I long for those memories. My memories are plenty:

-My dad trimming the bushes for the winter with Notre Dame or Bears football(depending on if it was Sat or Sun) on this transistor radio while we played in the yard.
-Going to an apple orchard to pick apples and of course getting some apple cider.
-Wearing my new winter coat for the first time(or at least a hand me down, new to me, winter coat) that first morning when it was needed. Heck, if it got down to 55 or so we'd say we needed our new jackets whether we did or not.
-Of course, the smell of leaves.
-I lived a few blocks from Ames field, so the sounds of Friday night football signaled the arrival of fall.
-The first morning the heat kicked on and smell of the furnace burning off it's summer slumber.

But my biggest and favorite memory of fall is no more. That was playoff baseball games during the day. I would rush home from school and turn on the tv as the games were going to the 3rd or 4th inning. It didn't matter if I had a rooting interest or not. I loved baseball and loved playoff baseball the most.

Thanks for this thread, really makes me long for 'the good 'ole days'.

[Tim]

Wow - the first time the furnace kicks on - that's another great one. Or as a kid, going from summer pajamas to winter pajamas. Just the difference in the way it sounded in our house - in the summer all the windows are open, but in the winter they're closed - more of that "cave" thing.

[mcstumper]

The biggest thing I remember about fall in Michigan City is the smell of burning leaves.

Last fall, I had pretty well got my yard leaf free except for one late-dropper. It was a small tree, and when they did drop I thought to myself, "Just throw them in the fire pit. Who will notice?" Within minutes I had the smokiest fire you ever saw and thanks to a breeze from the east, all that smoke was going right over Franklin Street. Drivers going through the smoke had to be looking for the house fire. I wanted to crawl in a hole...

[Dave]

There used to be (and probably still are) these doohickies for rolling old newspapers into logs one could use in one's fireplace. I wonder if the same thing could be done with leaves?

Hmmm, might have to try an experiment.

[Tim]

C Roller's cider thread reminded me of going out to the orchard's in the fall for apples and cider. They always had samples in little paper cups - always ice cold and really fresh.

[Ang]

Or going to pick pumpkins for Halloween.

[Tim]

Or going to pick pumpkins for Halloween.

That's a good one, Ang - but I have a horrible memory attached to it. I was never into the "Trick" part of Trick Or Treat - I was just a nice little kid. I think my first year in Jr. high my two buds I went out with were a little more... diobolical. The folks across the street from my folks had three kids - they each carved a pumkin and they put them out on a bench on the front yard. So on Trick Or Treat night we go out walking around, get back to my house - and before I can stop them buy buddies run over and smash all three pumkins on the ground. The kids come out and all burst into tears - I felt so bad that my friends had ruined that part of Halloween for them. So a word to the wise - don't do that!

it's just started to get fall-like here - wore a jacket for the first time the other day - pulled out a pair of sweats for the first time since early spring. Fall traditions continue!

[Ang]

One of the things I dislike most about fall is wearing socks for the first time after a summer of flip-flops.

[Roger Kaputnik]

I wore long pants for the first time since May, excepting funerals and weddings.

[Ang]

sucks, don't it?

[Roger Kaputnik]

This post is NOT FOR CHILDREN:

When I heard the expression you used first, it was in the mid '80s, and the full expression was 'to suck d¼½k.' Over the years, it was shortened to just 'to suck.'

So whenever I hear that expression used, it always jars my ears and sensibilities, especially when spoken by young ladies. To hear many tell it, there are nearly countless examples of situations, things, weather, etc., as well as countless people, all busy performing fellatio.

So, please, could we find a new word or phrase to replace what has been eponymously called 'The Monica Blot' on the English language?

[Tim]

This post is NOT FOR CHILDREN:

When I heard the expression you used first, it was in the mid '80s, and the full expression was 'to suck d¼½k.' Over the years, it was shortened to just 'to suck.'

So whenever I hear that expression used, it always jars my ears and sensibilities, especially when spoken by young ladies. To hear many tell it, there are nearly countless examples of situations, things, weather, etc., as well as countless people, all busy performing fellatio.

So, please, could we find a new word or phrase to replace what has been eponymously called 'The Monica Blot' on the English language?

I totally agree - that really sucks.

Seriously though, the term "it sucks" has come to have a meaning that has nothing to do with the... personal act you described. I seriously doubt that's what Ang had in mind when she made her post. My advice to you is perhaps you should come to terms with what that phrase means now.

Your jarred nerves will thank you.

[Roger Kaputnik]

Besides my jarred nerves, the issue of the Monica Blot remains.

[Southsider2k12]

This post is NOT FOR CHILDREN:

When I heard the expression you used first, it was in the mid '80s, and the full expression was 'to suck d¼½k.' Over the years, it was shortened to just 'to suck.'

So whenever I hear that expression used, it always jars my ears and sensibilities, especially when spoken by young ladies. To hear many tell it, there are nearly countless examples of situations, things, weather, etc., as well as countless people, all busy performing fellatio.

So, please, could we find a new word or phrase to replace what has been eponymously called 'The Monica Blot' on the English language?

This post sucks

Sorry Roger, I could resist.

It is definitely another one of those words that has been claimed by a different generation as something completely different than what it was. The quickest example is (and pardon me for using it) is "fag". It went from being a cigarette, to a person who is gay, to (in the Gen Y world) meaning an idiot. That's the beauty of the English language, with apologies to Bob Dylan, The language, she is a changin'!

[Ang]

Sorry to have offended you Roger, I did not mean to put the image of Bill Clinton and ol' Monica in your head, and when put in that frame, I am appalled myself (mostly because I got that same image thank you very much!)
I promise to never do that again. How bout this:

Man, that blows!

[Dave]

Man, that blows!

Which of course brings to mind whales, Moby Dick, and classical literature!

What??!?