:: traditions :: fall-o-ween blog hop day 8

First of all.....

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your kind words yesterday, and for your understanding with the issues on the download.  After several attempts, I think I may have gotten it right, at least for most of you.  It couldn't possibly have anything to do with finishing the post at 1am could it?!  There.  Now you know the nasty truth about me..... that I truly am a procrastinator!  

So, here we are on Day 8, and the topic is TRADITIONS. 

One tradition that I can remember from when I was a kid was going to the Feast of the Hunter's Moon in Lafayette, Indiana every fall.  The Feast of the Hunters' Moon is a re-creation of the annual fall gathering of the French and Native Americans which took place at Fort Ouiatenon, a fur-trading outpost in the mid - 1700s. 

I remember how I loved the sights and the smell of cooking fires, watching all the people who were dressed up like Indians or tradesmen, and eating strange but wonderful food, like bison burgers (at least it seemed strange to me as a kid.)   There were a few years when our kids were really young that we spent a day walking around there, but we haven't been in a long time.  I'm thinking that I need to plan ahead for next year and make a point of going because sadly, I just checked to see when it was being held this year and it was just this past weekend.  Bummer.

As for our family now, we have a special tradition that we do every year.  One that has to be done, but none of us like it.....

Yep.  You guessed it.  It is raking all those leaves that you saw in my post on texture.  And you can tell from this picture how enjoyable it is.

We always tease the kids when there is something that needs to be done but none of us wants to do.  We call it the "Triple F", or "Forced Family Fun".  And spending the day raking leaves together is one of those "Triple F" things.  We are fortunate to have curbside leaf pickup, but not only do we have TONS of leaves, our house is about 200 feet from the curb, so getting the leaves there with a leaf blower is not an option and burning them is against the City Ordinance.  Over the years, we've tried many different ways of getting the leaves to the curb..... blowing them onto a sheet and dragging the sheet to the street...... putting them into the bed of a pickup.... But our best solution?

Filling up the trash cans with the leaves and hauling them down to the street to dump them.  It usually takes us an entire day because we wait until they are all down so that we only have to do it once.  And the whole family gets to be in on the fun.  There is usually a lot of dragging feet and arguments on why they should be exempt and not have to participate, but in the end, we (the parents) usually win.

More often than not, though, there is usually something done during the day that has us all laughing.  Like watching our dog, Yukon, who loves to jump and play in the piles of leaves......

or looking over and seeing one of the kids in the trash can instead of the leaves.....

But no matter what, our Forced Family Fun day usually "leaves" us with a good memory (Ha, ha, do you get it?  Leaves?!)  and sometimes even turns out to actually BE fun.  Someday, the kids may even learn to appreciate it. 

Or maybe not.  

We can always hope.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

For today's free Fall-O-Ween Blog Hop project, you need to visit Carrie at Miss Rosie's Quilt Co.

Her stories and blogs are always a treat to read, so she's bound to have a great project to share with you.  And don't forget to visit all the other blogs for their musings on Traditions:

Gudren of G.E. Designs  (gudrun.typepad.com)

Sandy Gervais of Pieces From My Heart  (piecesfrommyheart-sgervais.blogspot.com)

Roseann of Rosebud's Cottage  (rosebudscottage.typepad.com)

 Kari Carr of New Leaf Stitches (newleafstitches.com)

Terry Atkinson Designs  (terryatkinson.typepad.com)

Heather Mulder Peterson of Anka's Treasures (ankastreasures.wordpress.com)

Carrie Nelson of Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. (lavieenrosie.typepad.com)

Linda Lum DeBono Designs (lindalumdebono.blogspot.com)

Pat Sloan's Designs (patsloan.typepad.com)

Comments

[Paula Johnson]

There is so much fun in doing things together. Your boys are to much fun in the sun, or should i say leaves.lol..

[Darlene B]

Love the Triple F concept. I may need to borrow this phrase!!

[Cindy Carlson]

The colors have to be beautiful, Terri.
It does seem like you have the best boys around.

[dawn]

Raking leaves can be fun but I usually end up with a blister! Jumping in them seem to be more fun!

[Jocelyn]

It will be a fun family memory when the kids are grown and on their own.

[Jackie]

I love the sound of crunching leaves and the smell when your raking them up.

[Birdena]

This fall-o-ween blog hop has been very enjoyable. I love the colors, sights, smells of fall....just not the temperatures.

[Claire]

Fun pic of son in the garbage can. And, Yukon what can I say?...too cute.
We really don't have any Thanksgving or fall traditons. My kids are older and when they are not at the in laws they come here for dinner. There is one dessert that I hav to serve...Raspberry Cheescake. It's become a family joke that my son in law won't even think of coming over until I tell him his favourite dessert is on the menu.

[Wendy]

Forced or not, it still was family time and it looks like you had some fun! Thanks for sharing!!

[MaryBeth]

what a cute pins and needle pattern, thanks

[marie beers]

Now that we are older and retired we mow the leaves and fill our huge container the city picks up every other week for garden debri.

[Sandra Cudd]

Raking leaves can be sort of fun when shared with children & pets. Your boys are real troopers for sure, even if they do grumble a little. When grown, they will be sharing those stories of 'way back when I was growin' up'!

[Sew Create It - Jane]

Those leave look so tempting to jump in...I miss that about home.

[Polly]

No leaf raking in FL in the fall... actually no fall in fall in FL...sigh...

[Jennifer]

Looks like so much fun! Sometimes Forced Family Fun is the way to go!

[Thecelticknot10]

Hi Teri, My son and I went to The Feast on Saturday afternoon. Mud on the ground and smoke in the air.....great day. Love to eat anything that comes on a stick. On another note I am loving your Tangled Up In Thread. So many cute projects. Made a hat from your previous book so I will have to make the one in this book. My son is the official leaf raker, thank goodness for the Cub Cadet.

[Bridgidk]

I wish I had leaves to play in. Ya I know, my inner child is coming out now. We never had leaves to play in but I always wanted to.

[Mary Grace McNamara]

We'll have piles of leaves here pretty soon too, then we can have a little forced family fun! My mother used to tell us that work is fun, and for a while we believed her...until it turned into cleaning bathrooms and stuff like that!

MGM

[Joyce Valaley]

I really loved your blog & the pattern. Thank you! I also want to add that altho I live now in MN, I am a native of Elwood, Indiana! Indiana FALL weather is a great memory for me. Thanks for the reminders!
Joyce

[Bonnie Nyquist]

Those leaves seem to be all over the place!! We have them too!! Wait til they get a home of their own!! Bonnie Nyquist bonniesline at aol dot com

[Laura Hayward]

I don't usually enjoy leaf raking day, but in the end there is such a sense of accomplishment. Just wish we had curbside leaf pick up here.

[Jeanne]

Enjoyed reading about the raking leaves story and how you work together at it and the triple F technique.

[Sue in Marion, IN]

Hey Teri--you're not too late for Mississinewa 1812 in Marion this coming weekend! It's the biggest 1812 re-enactment in the country (that said, it's not huge--very doable). There are Native Americans and soldiers in uniform, the battle re-enactment, river pirates, music, storytellers an wonderful food! Your kids would love it. And it's closer than Lafayette!

[Sharrieboberry]

Triple "F"? That's funny. We have a few leaves but now we have "organic" recycling and we can bag them in brown bags and they get recycled!

Raking isn't the problem, it's always the picking up, right?

[Leslie Schmidt]

I like parents who try to make things, if not more enjoyable, at least less obnoxious. My mom used to get albums, usually show tunes, from the library to play while we dusted and vacuumed the house. She worked with us, and we all learned the words to Oklahoma!,South Pacific, Fiddler on the Roof, and others. It wasn't a seasonal activity, but it was a tradition.

[Jenny Matlock]

Fall is so wonderful. Love your pics.