Earthquake weather...

Fall...

Crispy, scintillating, erie, wonderful ... Fall
Its my favorite time of year

Have I said before that I loved spring the most?
Well, I lied. Fall is my favorite. I'm sure of it

There's a sort of ... shall we say a "wive's tale" in the state of California...
I don't quite know why, but its said that fall weather is earthquake weather.

I was raised in California and have experienced my share of quakes
but still, I don't know where that notion comes from.
Not all earthquakes happen in the fall.

Well, today must have been earthquake weather,
because it so happens that out in the pacific ocean
an 8.3 magnitude earthquake took place.
So maybe the old tale holds some truth...
The weather channel told us that a tsunami would hit our coast...
all the way from Santa Barbara, California - north to Astoria, Oregon.

Andrew (my youngest) and I raced down to the beach to watch...
I'd post a photo... if it would show up, but we could only really hear it.
It wasn't very big... maybe a foot or so higher than normal surf ...
which would be about what we get during winter storms.
We are in a large "C"shaped bay,
so the waves that made it inside were mostly muted.
Still... it caused some excitement, and we weren't alone.
A few neighbors joined us... to watch and listen.
Thankfully, it was harmless.

On different subject...
Every fall I order some specialities...
and every fall I wait in anticipation for its arrival
A box!
With some things that help create the ambiance of Fall in our house
I love it when this package arrives each fall.
Its filled with scintillating spices from all over the world.


Star Anise
I consider myself very fortunate to have access
to the spices that in times gone by were so valuable
that wars were fought over them.
We live in privileged times, and I don't take it for granted.


Whole Nutmeg
Ahhh... there's nothing like fresh shaved nutmeg
to give that little-something-special to spaghetti sauce.
(A secret Italian ingredient...
so I've been told by an excellent Italian chef, and he's right!)

Cinnamon!
If you've never had "real" cinnamon...
... then you're missing out.
Did you know that the grocery store cinnamon isn't the real thing?
That's called Cassia...
Real cinnamon is light brown, thin and soft...
the aroma is delicate and the taste is sweet.
Its grown in Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
( I love that word. Sri Lanka... )
Sri Lanka... where real cinnamon is grown,
and then shipped to my door. Wow... amazing, isn't it?


Whole cloves, mulling spices, sassafrass...
I mix them all together...


...and place them in a small witch's cauldron
(well not really... its my mini electric crockpot)

... and let it simmer away...
Alllllll day, every day through Christmas

I love it when the family walks into the house...
and all in unison they say...
MMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!
Mom, it smells so good in here!
Ahhh.... it does my heart good.