Apple Cider & Pumpkin Spice

Apple Cider & Pumpkin Spice

September 22nd is Crystal Green’s favorite day of the year. The first day of autumn always gets her giddy and joyous. Throughout the whole season she is dedicated to wearing sweaters, cardigans, hoodies, pullovers, and sweat pants. 90° weather and she’d still be wearing a warm fall jacket. This is how her first day of fall always goes.

Wednesday; September 22, 2027

It was a beautiful morning. The sun was shining almost as bright as firecrackers on the 4th of July. Crystal woke up to the smell of her mother’s pumpkin pancakes. She would always smear them with maple syrup, top them with whipped cream, and garnish the pancakes with nutmeg, chocolate chips, and cinnamon. This was her favorite guilty pleasure of all time.  Every year her mother would prepare them for her. The scrumptious smell reassured her that fall is here. Autumn has always put Crystal in her happy place and will forever.

This might seem pretty bad but every year on the first day of fall, Crystal’s parents allow her to miss school. Her annual fall traditions requires a full 24 hours of activities. Every event follows another. So after she finishes her delicious pancakes, she gets changed into a mustard and burgundy colored flannel over a shirt that reads, “Pumpkin Spice,” with gray jeans and UGG slippers; her yearly fall outfit.  

Now it was time to go apple & pumpkin picking at The Apple Orchards of Meadowshine; same place she goes every year. Crystal’s favorite part of fall is the vibrant smell of crisp apples and pumpkins galore. Picking the juiciest most mouthwatering apples from the tallest trees were a piece of cake for her. Crystal took a tractor out into the fields where the millions of precious pumpkins lay. She always tries to find the roundest and most flawless looking pumpkin. After she chooses the pumpkin for her family’s front porch, Crystal goes inside of the barn and buys three bags of candy corn. She has never bought one more or one less than three.

After Crystal purchases her fall essentials, she heads home to decorate her room with fall decorations. Every piece of string, sign, or poster were used in previous years. She has never bought a new decal for her bedroom. Since she was three years old, she began to light her favorite candle in the whole world. It is called, “Amazing Apple Allspice”  It makes her room smell like an apple orchard mixed with cinnamon sticks.

Fall movies and hot apple cider are the rest of her afternoon. “When Harry Met Sally,” is her favorite and the only movie she can never miss. The warm fire kept her company. Crystal lay underneath her fluffy, cozy autumn blanket.

It was dinner time.

Her father makes Crystal’s classic fall meal. This was sheet pan chicken with an assortment of beautifully colored fall vegetables.

“Wow! That was a really great day!” Crystal says, cutting off a piece of chicken.

“Good to hear. I mean it is your annual first day of fall,” Her mom says.

“How’s the food?” Says her dad pointing at the veggies.

“It is delicious! But maybe I should try something new next year…” Crystal smiles.

Friday; September 22, 2028

Crystal wakes up. She walks downstairs and opens the door to her front porch. She sits down for a minute and just thinks about how fortunate she is to have the opportunity of breathing the fall air.