Make You Feel My FALL Love

It's always the fall that sucker punches me in the nostalgia glands.  I feel that first chill in the air and I'm suddenly transported back to Italy, exchanging my wardrobe from summer to winter, sitting down to Sandra's pumpkin pasta, bundling up in scarves and boots, and passing the hills filled with rainbows of autumnal leaves as we ride to the local oil mill for the November olive harvest.  And yet, there's this other part of me whose nostalgic associations are inevitably bound homeward, the part that relishes memories of trick or treating, watching Hocus Pocus and Casper, and waking up to the smell of a turkey roasting in the oven.  Honestly, if California didn't have such blasted awesome weather, the fall here might leave me not thinking of Italy at all.

Still, even with lovely weather, us Californians find ways to enjoy the season!  The girls came over recently for a Halloween dinner, and we ate squash in several different forms before carving our ghoulish pumpkins, above.  My dad offered to pretend to be an intruder in the yard to scare us, but I figured someone would probably legitimately get wounded in that scenario, so I called him off.

 

Later that week, my parents and I threw Emma in the car and drove up to Apple Hill, a collection of orchards and farms near Placerville, CA.  Basically, you go to eat.  We had delicious BBQ chicken with macaroni and apple marshmallow salads, apple-infused beer, and apple-pumpkin pie.  We stopped by several farms, including one called Bavarian Hills, where Dad and his surprisingly hairy German barmaid took this photo.

We also went apple picking, which was neat because the lady said, "Try apples from each tree before you pick any to take home with you."  She wanted to make sure we loved them, and we found plenty of delicious ones, plus Emma loved the adventure.

Then this past weekend we celebrated my brother's 21st birthday.  He and I went to see Bob Dylan at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, which was one of the coolest venues I've been to.  It was really clever of them to transport this classic model here, what with its incredible acoustics and added lovely view of the bay.

I have to admit that while I admire Bob Dylan for his impact on music and his accomplished career, I'm not his most avid follower.  One of the reasons I appreciate him, though, is for his writing of "Make You Feel My Love," Adele's cover of which is perhaps my favorite song.  So, you can imagine my pleasure when he included his folksy version of that song on his set list Friday night!  Check out the video below, and that's Bob Dylan at the piano towards the right of the following photo.

That night we went out for Daniel's first (at least legal) beer, which the bartender Johnny offered him for free, and my brother hosted me at his place, even offering me his bed with freshly washed sheets and all.  The next day our parents met us in town and we ate at the 21st Amendment, a connection my brother just couldn't pass up.

Later that night, several of my UCSD friends and I headed to the Disney Museum in the Presidio for an alumni event.  It was cool to be in a room where you knew you have something in common with everyone, plus I had a handful of close friends and, of course, Walt by my side.

My favorite thing about the museum was the extremely detailed topographical model of Disneyland from the early '60s.  The guide was so helpful in pointing out to me all the various changes and developments over the years, and you could tell she was so passionate about it all!  One could really feel the magic of Disney in the museum, and I'd love to go again when I can spend more time appreciating all it has to offer.

But really the fall is just beginning...next up, Halloween!