It’s Apple Month!
Not only does the fabulous apple have a month in which it is celebrated, but within that month, it also has a day dedicated to eating all things apple, October 21. I’m not sure what it is about the apple, but I can’t think of another fruit around which so many memories revolve. In my head, there are few things that scream “Fall is here!” more than the apple.
Ok, so now that I think about it, that’s not totally true. There are all kinds of things that scream fall is here. Falling leaves, cool weather, chilly evenings, corn stalks, scarecrows, pumpkins….maybe I overstated the place the apple falls in this list but it IS in the list and so that is good enough for me!
One of the first things I think of is bobbing for apples as a kid. This always sounded like so much fun and was such an exciting prospect; until it was your turn and you got up to that water filled tub of torture and quickly realized that on this nice, cool fall day, you were expected to get wet. Who decided this was a good idea? Amongst the group of kids there was always one kid, a boy, who went for broke and submerged his head so he could trap the apple between his mouth and the side of the bucket. Coming up from the tub with water streaming all over and looking like he had won. Child Carrie was not impressed.
It was this same fall celebration party that we also took a trip through a spooky tunnel. Basically, sheets over tables and chairs we crawled under with scary lights and pictures. At one point, my friend’s mom put creepy spider rings on her fingers and wiggled them under the sheets leaving the kids in front of me scrambling and screaming. Kid Carrie saw that spider and lept into action and smashed that spider (and the mom’s finger) saving all of my friends! I might not win at bobbing for apples but I saved more friends that day than anyone there! I would like to think that I proudly strutted home to celebrate, my mom greeting me at the door glowing with pride to welcome her little hero home.
In addition to being an event, an apple is also just plain delicious and versatile! I have memories of making and eating caramel apples. Mostly I just ate the caramel off the outside of the apple and left a pretty much completely untouched, but now plain, apple behind. When I was really young the only way to make a caramel apple was to unwrap a bunch of kraft caramels, melt them and dip the apple on in there. My mom was having NONE of that. It was time consuming and messy and not at all worth the result. Then, in the 80’s came the invention of the Wrapple and the game changed! All of a sudden, not only would Mom make us caramel apples but she even instigated it! Thank you Kraft, and thank you Wrapple! If memory serves, these didn’t stick all that well to the apple making it just that much easier to remove the caramel with my mouth! As an aside, if you were too impatient, you could just peel off a sheet of Wrapple and sneak back to your room unseen and eat it in all its caramel deliciousness.
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I will say, my most favorite of all apple themed memory is when we would have our church’s annual square dance. I say annual, but it is incredibly possible it only happened twice and I just think it was annual. Regardless, it was a highlight! One of the farmers who attended our church would clear out his barn and it would be held there. There would be hay rides behind the tractor and even a corn maze for the super brave, and older than me, kids. There were delightful treats and apple cider to drink. I LOVE apple cider and I would drink large quantities. I would start the night with plain apple cider but as the evening wore on, I would work my way up to the hard stuff - the kind with cinnamon! And if all of this wasn’t enough for the best night of my life, they had square dancing! With a real live band and a real live square dance caller! I learned how to do-si-do and allemande left. I got to dance with the adults - in a square - and work up a thirst that could only be quenched by…you guessed it….more apple cider! How ‘bout dem apples!
Happy Apple month and Happy Fall Y’all! Enjoy your apples however suits you best and don’t forget to swing your partner round and round then promenade, promenade around!