Guest Post: It's the Little Things #3

While I'm away on vacation some lovely guest posters will be sharing the 'little things' that mean the most to them. Please extend a warm welcome!

From the first moment I stumbled on Casee Marie's lovely blog, The Girl Who Stole the Eiffel Tower, I was hooked. A self proclaimed 'old-fashioned gal who appreciates elegance and glamour', this is exactly what you'll find on a visit to Casee Marie. In addition to her friendly tone of writing and delightful posts, I swoon over all the items in her Wishpot Wednesdays! With each visit I learn something new and leave feeling a tad more 'in the know'. Be sure to head over and say hello (after you read her story of course), you'll be charmed! (You can also find her co-authoring at SHE.)

 Photo by Lavender1919

I'm delighted to be contributing to Ashleigh’s lovely series about the little things that mean the most to us! I’d like to share some of my fondest autumn memories, which lie in Glen Arbor, a little town in western Michigan. It all started when, in the early years of my childhood, our neighbors invited us on a trip to the opposite side of the mitten state to see the foliage, climb the sand dunes and snack on the cherries. The drive, I recall, was riddled with childish anticipation which was only stifled when we came upon a hill overlooking the flaming colors of fall. Western Michigan has the most majestic color palette in the fall; it goes beyond visual stimulation, it moves you to stop and appreciate the beauty of nature. And when you stop to appreciate one thing, it sets off a chain reaction: suddenly the people you’re with, the sound of their laughter mingling with the music from the car radio, it all becomes more vibrant, and infinitely more important. Our trips became an autumnal tradition, the car ride and the sand dunes and the quaint little shop called The Cherry Republic. On our first trip, the cherry shop was no more than a modest cabin gently tucked into the woodsy town of Glen Arbor. The staff, which was few and yet some of the nicest few you could ever have the pleasure of meeting, offered stories and samples of their gourmet cherry products. Since that first year the small cabin has grown to include two sister cabins: a winery and a café. The staff never changed, nor did the cherries and, of course, the resplendent colors of autumn that caused me to stop and appreciate everything around me. Every year when the faintest colors start to appear on the trees I'm always drawn back to that wonderful time in my life, and the gentle simplicity of realizing what's truly important in life.

Can't you just smell the fresh air and hear the crunching leaves? Just thinking about it makes me smile! Thanks again, Casee Marie for sharing your story with us! 


What 'little thing' are you appreciating today?