Everything Autumn

I woke up this morning to the remnants of a huge party in my back yard. Mother Nature must have hosted a welcoming celebration for autumn during the night. And as I drove to work, it appears that all of Kalamazoo was invited. Fluorescent leaves are scattered like confetti across the county, and a few trees are displaying the season’s most vibrant hues of red and orange.

For me, waking up to fall in Michigan invokes a child-like excitement similar to waking up to snow and Santa Claus on Christmas. I wondered how my obsession with this season began, so I journeyed through the autumns of my youth and a few images came to mind:

Fall is the sweet smell of the final cut of hay. It is a Harvest Moon grinning low in the sky like a giant jack-o-lantern. It is rows of golden corn crackling beneath the groan of a dusty combine.

Fall is a hayride and a bonfire. It is children running through an orchard for cider and donuts. It is a herd of ewes retreating from the pasture—their bellies bulging as they prepare to have their lambs.

Fall is the smell of a wood-burning stove. It is catching leaves as they float from the trees. It is a swinging rope hanging from the rafters—or burlap sacks of wool piled to the ceiling of our old barn.

Fall is the screams of a haunted house and the stomachache from candy corn. It is the laughter from a game of football in my grandma’s front yard. It is the memory of my grandfather’s charming face, blackened by the soot of his harvest.

Fall is the heralded “trick or treat!” The beauty of autumn arrives quickly, almost unexpectedly. And like an awe-inspiring display of fireworks, its celebration is brief. I believe Michigan may host the nation’s most beautiful finale to nature, so I always make a point to enjoy the “treat.”

Winter Heating Tips

With the winter fast approaching, and energy costs still on the rise, Kalamazoo area residents are looking for ways to stay warm this winter without breaking the bank. Finding ways to scale back your heating not only saves money, but it is better for the environment as using less heat is less of a draw on our energy resources.

So, this winter, how exactly do you use less heat, but stay just as warm? Here are a few tips:

Don’t Use Unnecessary Heat
Don’t unnecessarily heat rooms that you don’t use often, such as guest rooms. If possible, turn back thermostats in those rooms, or keep the door closed to prevent heat drifting in.
Additionally, if you tend to be gone for long stretches during the day, scale your thermostat back a little before you leave. Then return it to normal as soon as you get home. Be sure not to turn your thermostat higher than your desired temperature in an effort to heat the house faster when you return. This doesn’t heat your home any faster, but makes your furnace work harder, and possibly use more energy than needed.

Wash Clothes in Cold Water When Possible
Not all clothes need to be washed in warm or hot water, but it’s easy to leave the dial set as such. Check clothing tags for clothes that can be machine washed cold, and change your dial accordingly.

Keep Your Chimney Flue Closed When Not In Use
An open flue is like leaving a window open. The hot air escapes right out the chimney. Be sure to keep this closed when you are not using your fireplace.

Take Advantage of the Sun’s Natural Warmth
Open the shades and blinds of south facing windows on sunny days. Additionally, close them at night to reduce the chill from cold or frosty windows.

Check Your House for Energy Leaks
Look and feel around doors and windows for drafts, leaks or holes. Use weather stripping, caulk, or door sweeps to prevent heat loss this winter.

Cut Your Shower Time
Hot water can be a major influence on your energy expenditures, especially in big families. Ask everyone in your family to cut back on their hot shower time by a few minutes. Shorter hot showers can save up to 33% of your hot water heating costs.

At-Home at Homecoming?

Two years ago I sat along a curb in East Lansing, waving to Kermit the Frog as he rolled by in a white convertible. Moments later, massive draft horses with green manes and hooves pounded the pavement as they trotted down Grand River Avenue. Another Homecoming parade was passing before me as quickly as the year had passed since I graduated.

Each fall I drive into Michigan State’s campus and read the imaginary banner above Spartan Stadium that screams, “Welcome to the Happiest Place in Michigan!” Sure, I admit I’m biased toward my alma mater—but every time I step foot on campus toting a grill and wearing a signature hooded sweatshirt, I feel like I’ve been welcomed to the largest extended-family reunion known to man. It’s a celebration I have most appropriately termed “Tailgation Nation.”

Tailgation Nation is more than a parade, high-fives, the smell of hot dogs and the blast of a sportscaster on an AM radio. Exceeding the celebration of a football game, Tailgation Nation is the celebration of community and the sense of family developed during one of life’s greatest periods of transition. My college years taught me astronomy, biology and ethics and communication theories. But the greater education was about myself—about love and friendship, heartache and triumph. I left East Lansing with more than a degree—and each time I return I can’t help but celebrate the place that nurtured me and fostered my growth from a shy farm girl to a confidant woman.

Although I didn’t go to Kalamazoo’s Western Michigan University, I’m guessing it has a group of graduates and enthusiastic fans similar to what I experienced at MSU. In the midst of another exciting season of college football, I am convinced that Tailgation Nation is a universal phenomenon. And if it’s not—it should be. Our community can learn from the universities: perhaps a stable and lifelong sense of community results from providing a supportive environment that evolves and transforms the individual.

No matter where I wind up in life, I have the comfort of knowing my alma mater will always welcome me home. I’m confident that Kalamazoo can do the same.