Ye Olde Thyme

I love Fall.

I am so completely infatuated and nostalgic for this time of year.  Autumn always brings back memories of growing up on the east coast, when the air would become crisp, and the leaves would turn, and then slowly begin to blanket our fading lawn.  I was always the one forced to rake them (against my good will), but was rewarded by jumping merrily into a big pile of crunchy, colored goodness.

I also had a slightly unhealthy obsession with the Salem Witch Trials.  I did my 4th grade report on them, and strolled in with my pointy hat, long cloak and was convinced that all I needed to prepare were some limerick-like spells, and have a plastic cauldron full of candy to hand out.  Of course, I put much more effort into it than that, and nothing else would make my after-school infatuation more pleasing than when my family would take seasonal trips up to Salem, MA.  It was there, that I got to feast my imagination and completely submerse myself into the world of witches and warlocks and all the haunted happenings that took place there.  Then, I'd go home and watch movies like 'The Crucible' and 'Sleepy Hollow' and try to relive the magical lives  of these characters. 

Me, on trial, for not cleaning my room.

These days, I don't find myself in Salem, but I did find myself in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, where my roommate and I took a guided tour, by the well-versed and educated Karie Bible.  The tour itself lasted about 2 hours, and covered only about a quarter of the cemetery itself.  Man, that place is BIG.  Most of the gravestones we learned about were from an earlier cinematic generation, including many actors I was somewhat familiar with.  It was both overwhelming and interesting to hear all the stories behind each person, most of them ending tragically, but regardless, what they left behind was a legacy of sort.

It left me feeling a bit morbid, so I had to make up for it, by indulging in a more child friendly celebration.  And what better way to do so than to bake an seasonal Apple Thyme Cake (courtesy of SpoonForkBacon), and sip bourbon cider, while watching your favorite Sanderson Sisters try and suck the lives out of little children?  By the way, if you don't watch this movie for the majesty of Bette Midler, than do the honors for the two hilarious "hoodlums" (Jay and Ernie 'Ice'). 


And be sure to buy a cinnamon broom from Trader Joe's.

...some things never change.


.:Anais:.

(almost) A Month Later.

I'd like to say that the reason why I haven't been writing much lately is because I've been sooo busy.  Untrue.  Let's recap:

A few weeks ago, I flew up to visit my family in the Bay Area for my Grandparent's 50th Anniversary.  They had no idea that we were throwing a surprise celebration for them, and it was really wonderful to be apart of something so monumental.  

I don't get to spend as much time with my family as I'd like to, (distance being a big reason), and it's funny because, when I had them close, I didn't take advantage of them as much as I wish I had.  In fact, I couldn't wait to get out of the house upon graduating, and my seldom visits were dictated by the holidays, not my own volition.  I had this notion that the farther I went away, the less I would need them.  Even after college and moving to LA, I thought the same thing.

And then you get to see your entire family celebrating two people who've spent most of their lives together, and you feel how important they are to you, despite the gaps of time you've spent apart.  You sit down with your grandma and grandpa, and ask them for advice because they really have seen it all.  You take a beat and actually spend time with your family instead of rushing through another obligation, when you're just trying to go out with friends. 

You really see your family for the first time, and appreciate them in a brand new way you never thought you could. 

And it's really nice.