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1. The COLOR. Growing up in Montana, I never could figure out why there were red leaves in autumn decorations. Autumn was short, turned very cold, usually had snow, and was nothing more than a bunch of yellow and brown leaves (and cottonwood gunk) on the roads. My first autumn in New England excited me so much that I actually mailed leaves to my parents because I couldn't believe the fiery red existed. Of course, both of my parents thought I was weird (since, being from PA, they both were used to red leaves). Well, they still think I'm weird, but hey (shrug). 2. The smell. New England has a distinct autumn smell to it- a special mixture of morning dew and fog mixed with cold, damp earth mixed with the blend of drying leaves. Even in the heart of Boston in areas where it's nearly all concrete jungle, you can smell it. It's soothing and cozy to me. 3. Halloween. This ties in with the color and smell aspects-- but there' s nothing quite like Halloween in New England. In many areas, the houses are older and just have that appearance of spookiness. Add to that the fact that it's pitch dark by 5 by Halloween. And, it's very forested here. Lots and lots of woods. By that time of year, fog is a fairly common occurrance. It gets very spooky here. There are TONS of haunted houses, haunted hayrides, and other specific Halloween attractions. Most are open throughout October. And of course, there is Disney-Halloween, also known as Salem, Mass. on Oct. 31. Been there, done that. Not worth the insanity. 4. Countryside drives. Oddly this is the only time of year Erich and I do this. We have an annual tradition, mid-Octoberish, where we drive up to Concord, Massachusetts. We go to The Cheese Shop (yes... it's actually called that) in downtown Concord and drop a lot of money on good, imported cheeses, mustards, european chocolates, and perhaps a bottle of chianti. Then we head over to Sleepy Hollow cemetery, which is only perhaps a mile from downtown. We walk around for a while, visiting the graves of Hawthorne, Alcott, etc. And then we start driving back toward Boston down Route 2A... where you find all of the local farmstands. Pie, more pie, and some veggies. And probably a carmel or candy apple. The scenery is beautiful, and it's one of those romantic little relationship traditions that sprung completely by accident, but I look forward to every year. 5. King Richard's Faire. Ren Faire: tigers, ligers and other big cats, jousting, sword play, period garb (Erich prefers me in the corset, heh.), turkey stew, and mead. :) Oh and the two guys that attend every year looking like some cross between Klingons, Mad Max villains and Uruk-hai. 6. Morning chill. It came early this year-- that really honest to god cold air that makes you burrow deeper under the covers, or makes your teeth chatter when you first go outside. I find it quite energizing in the morning. As soon as the chill hits, I know that the heat and humidity of summer is gone. And that makes me extremely happy. 7. Maine. Erich's mom lives there, specifically in the region north of Portland, but south of Bar Harbor. Maine has somehow clung to what I imagine Cape Cod was like fifty years ago-- small seaside towns, many with active sea-related industries (fishing, lobstering, etc.). The town where Erich's mom lives has the appearance of something out of Norman Rockwell. There's the general store (with the 1930s era glass-door display fridges), a post office that closes for two hours for lunch (but everyone knows the postmaster), windy back roads. One school. And lots of stories about the life-long residents and their extended family histories. Stephen King does capture his beloved home well when he creates settings. He generally focuses on the more depressing aspects. And they're definitely there (although not quite always to the extreme of 'Salems Lot, for example). But there is something about those small, seaside towns that are both romantic and terrifying, and my writer's mind goes both directions whenever we go up there. 8. Boston. Generic, perhaps. But I came to New England to go to school in Boston. I love the mix of new and old in the city. I love the blend of cultures. I love the variety of color. The traffic is crazy. The subways have deteriorated in quality considerably since I moved here. But it's a fantastic city to visit, and despite the high cost of living, it's a great place to go to school and live. 9. Sports. Yes, Red Sox fans can be obnoxious. They raise it to an artform, in fact. From my experience, so are the Yankees fans (although I get amused that everyone I know from NY will deny this... I call bullshit to that from a neutral upbringing. Both groups of fans are equally as obnoxious to each other). But the sports passion for the Red Sox - and for the Patriots, although on a different level - is a backbone of the culture here. As a non-native, I can't even grasp how deep this runs, but I see the evidence of it all the time. The eulogy for Erich's grandfather last weekend sums up part of it. His daughter wrote how in the last six years since she moved in to live with him (after Erich's grandmother passed away), she recalled him crying only twice. I don't recall what the first reason was, but the second was when the Red Sox won the World Series. 10. Religion. Contrary to how many of the conservative, predominantly verbally religious states may think of New England... it's not a bastion of godlessness here. New England is as fiercely religious as any other area of the nation. But, like New York and many of the other East Coast cities, there is a tremendous diversity of religion here, with all of the subsets of major religions included. And somehow, despite the occasional mudslinging of bigotry, people have learned to live side by side and go about their lives for the most part. People here are devout, but devotion is considered personal and private. In the towns and circles I've been in, the "my church is greater than your church" crap that I saw growing up doesn't exist. (and I think it's for the better, quite frankly.) 11. The accents. Notice the plural on that... not everyone speaks like Norm on This Old House. There are a number of different accents in New England, and all of them both fascinate and amuse me. I have found that my own accent has changed since living here. I am starting to lose a few "r"s here and there. 12. The size. New England is accessible. Lots of roads and lots of ways to get places - and lots of things to do. Erich and I can go to Maine (which for us is now technically three states away) for a long weekend. Our normal weekend Dungeons & Dragons group has players now from four different states. Growing up, going somewhere in state for a long weekend was usually a pain in the ass, let alone going to the next state over (Wyoming). 13. Forward-thinking intelligence. Being smart and educated is valued here. Being liberal - in the proper sense of trying to seek out ways to improve human life - is celebrated here. Not everything works, and sometimes these states are ahead of their time... but it is an experimenting ground for growth as a nation and culture. Whether it's same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, or the very recent system created in Vermont to allow handicapped voters to vote via telephone (thereby providing an accessible - but physically private - way to vote for the disabled) - experiments and attempts at improvements are always at work here. :) Links to other Thursday Thirteens! Raggedy - Stacie - Sally - Momish - Brony |
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