Autumn Meme
Sep. 30th, 2020 03:19 pmBorrowed from the lovely ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
baranduin
Go apple picking vs. go on a hayride?
Hayride!
Scary vs. sweet?
Hmmm...sweet, on balance.
Sweaters vs. boots?
Sweaters! I'd live in sweaters non-stop, weather permitting.
Socks vs. mittens?
Mittens! Socks are great, obviously, but mitten-knitting is a super important part of Latvia's cultural heritage (I'm an American, but much of my family is Latvian), so I have a lot of strong feelings about mittens. Japanese knitter Ai Suzuki has done some amazing work with Latvian mitten patterns, including pieces that combine traditional Latvian and Japanese designs. I met Ai in the summer of 2018 when we were classmates in the Latvian language summer school at the University of Riga; she actually learned Latvian specifically because she wanted to be able to talk to Latvian knitters!
Bonfires vs. football?
Bonfires - especially when singing campfire songs!
Trick-or-treating vs. watch scary movies?
Trick-or-treating! The neighborhood where I grew up was a very typical mid-century suburb (built after the Korean War, four different floorplans in the whole development), and it was a major Halloween destination for families who lived in more rural areas. We got hundreds of trick-or-treaters every Halloween! As a teenager, I actually preferred handing out candy to trick-or-treating, for two reasons: a) I got to have fun little interactions with kids (think greeting princesses as "Your Highness" and pretending to be frightened by monsters) and b) since I was the one who picked out the candy supply we bought each year, we always got my favorites, which I would steadily eat throughout the night.
Apple pie vs. pumpkin pie?
I love them both, but I have to go with pumpkin. Baking pumpkin pie has been a family tradition since I was a little kid. Besides, pumpkin pie keeps in the fridge really well and is just as good cold as hot!
Halloween vs. Thanksgiving?
Halloween, I think. As I mentioned above, Halloween was a big deal in my neighborhood and we had a lot of family traditions around it. We put most of our decorations up earlier in October, but one extra-special decoration, the ghosts, we only put up late in the afternoon on Halloween itself. We had a really big fir tree in the front yard with spreading branches, and we tied sheets of white gauze so they hung from string under the tree. In the daylight they were thoroughly unimpressive, but at night they really did look like ghosts. I think the paranormal impression was enhanced over the years as "spooky" Halloween decorations became more and more focused on gory hyperrealism; people didn't expect something so understated. Even I sometimes did a double take, and I'd put them up myself!
Bake pie vs. bake cookies?
Pie! The secret to a good pie crust is vodka.
Rain vs. fog?
Fog.
Black cats vs. owls?
Conceptually, owls, but cats are far snugglier. It's a draw.
Ghosts vs. wizards?
Wizards!
Go hiking vs. sleep in?
As much as I aspire to be the kind of person who would go hiking, I'm forced to answer sleep in.
Cinnamon vs. nutmeg?
Both - they're both essential components of pumpkin pie spice!
Hot chocolate vs. tea?
Is it bubble tea? The hierarchy, in my opinion, is: bubble tea > hot chocolate > other tea.
Live in a cabin in a forest vs. have it be fall all year round?
Neither of these is something I would want? I guess year-round fall would be more tolerable.
Candy apples vs. caramel apples?
Caramel apples 100%.
Blankets vs. pillows?
Blankets! One pillow is enough for me, any more just end up on the floor.
Roasted marshmallows vs. roasted chestnuts?
Roasted chestnuts, hands down!
Coffee vs. apple cider?
Cider, especially spiced cider! (I don't really drink coffee.)
Red leaves vs. orange leaves?
Orange?
Scented candles vs. the smell of fresh baked goods?
Fresh baked goods, of course - the smell of baked goods usually presages something lovely to eat, whereas you can't eat scented candles! Well, I suppose you could, but you wouldn't enjoy it.
Carve pumpkins vs. make pumpkin pie?
Pie!
Pumpkin spice lattes vs. chai tea lattes?
Chai for me, please.
I will say that one of my pet peeves around this time of year is people complaining that pumpkin spice [insert food item] "doesn't taste like pumpkin." It doesn't, and it's not supposed to! It tastes like pumpkin spice, i.e., the spice mix traditionally used with pumpkin (cinnamon, nutmeg, and either cloves or allspice). It's like how barbecue sauce doesn't taste like meat, it accompanies meat, and we don't complain that barbecue-flavored potato chips taste like the sauce and not the meat.
Coats vs. oversized sweaters?
Coats. Oversized sweaters on top of my oversized self make me look a bit like a knitted tent.
Beanies vs. berets?
I'll have to say beanies, as I've never figured out a way to wear a beret that's both flattering and actually stays on my head. Too much hair, I think.
Candy corn vs. peanut butter cups?
I mildly dislike candy corn, but I loathe peanut butter cups, so...candy corn it is.
S'mores vs. apple crisp?
Apple crisp in terms of taste preferences, but the experience of making s'mores with friends is priceless.
Jump in a pile of leaves vs. swing on a tire swing?
Tire swing! More fun and fewer earwigs.
Corn maze vs. haunted house?
Corn maze forever.
Bob for apples vs. visit a pumpkin patch?
Pumpkin patch!
Whipped cream on hot chocolate vs. marshmallows on hot chocolate?
Marshmallows, but it's a near thing.
I hope you all have a lovely fall!
baranduin Go apple picking vs. go on a hayride?
Hayride!
Scary vs. sweet?
Hmmm...sweet, on balance.
Sweaters vs. boots?
Sweaters! I'd live in sweaters non-stop, weather permitting.
Socks vs. mittens?
Mittens! Socks are great, obviously, but mitten-knitting is a super important part of Latvia's cultural heritage (I'm an American, but much of my family is Latvian), so I have a lot of strong feelings about mittens. Japanese knitter Ai Suzuki has done some amazing work with Latvian mitten patterns, including pieces that combine traditional Latvian and Japanese designs. I met Ai in the summer of 2018 when we were classmates in the Latvian language summer school at the University of Riga; she actually learned Latvian specifically because she wanted to be able to talk to Latvian knitters!
Bonfires vs. football?
Bonfires - especially when singing campfire songs!
Trick-or-treating vs. watch scary movies?
Trick-or-treating! The neighborhood where I grew up was a very typical mid-century suburb (built after the Korean War, four different floorplans in the whole development), and it was a major Halloween destination for families who lived in more rural areas. We got hundreds of trick-or-treaters every Halloween! As a teenager, I actually preferred handing out candy to trick-or-treating, for two reasons: a) I got to have fun little interactions with kids (think greeting princesses as "Your Highness" and pretending to be frightened by monsters) and b) since I was the one who picked out the candy supply we bought each year, we always got my favorites, which I would steadily eat throughout the night.
Apple pie vs. pumpkin pie?
I love them both, but I have to go with pumpkin. Baking pumpkin pie has been a family tradition since I was a little kid. Besides, pumpkin pie keeps in the fridge really well and is just as good cold as hot!
Halloween vs. Thanksgiving?
Halloween, I think. As I mentioned above, Halloween was a big deal in my neighborhood and we had a lot of family traditions around it. We put most of our decorations up earlier in October, but one extra-special decoration, the ghosts, we only put up late in the afternoon on Halloween itself. We had a really big fir tree in the front yard with spreading branches, and we tied sheets of white gauze so they hung from string under the tree. In the daylight they were thoroughly unimpressive, but at night they really did look like ghosts. I think the paranormal impression was enhanced over the years as "spooky" Halloween decorations became more and more focused on gory hyperrealism; people didn't expect something so understated. Even I sometimes did a double take, and I'd put them up myself!
Bake pie vs. bake cookies?
Pie! The secret to a good pie crust is vodka.
Rain vs. fog?
Fog.
Black cats vs. owls?
Conceptually, owls, but cats are far snugglier. It's a draw.
Ghosts vs. wizards?
Wizards!
Go hiking vs. sleep in?
As much as I aspire to be the kind of person who would go hiking, I'm forced to answer sleep in.
Cinnamon vs. nutmeg?
Both - they're both essential components of pumpkin pie spice!
Hot chocolate vs. tea?
Is it bubble tea? The hierarchy, in my opinion, is: bubble tea > hot chocolate > other tea.
Live in a cabin in a forest vs. have it be fall all year round?
Neither of these is something I would want? I guess year-round fall would be more tolerable.
Candy apples vs. caramel apples?
Caramel apples 100%.
Blankets vs. pillows?
Blankets! One pillow is enough for me, any more just end up on the floor.
Roasted marshmallows vs. roasted chestnuts?
Roasted chestnuts, hands down!
Coffee vs. apple cider?
Cider, especially spiced cider! (I don't really drink coffee.)
Red leaves vs. orange leaves?
Orange?
Scented candles vs. the smell of fresh baked goods?
Fresh baked goods, of course - the smell of baked goods usually presages something lovely to eat, whereas you can't eat scented candles! Well, I suppose you could, but you wouldn't enjoy it.
Carve pumpkins vs. make pumpkin pie?
Pie!
Pumpkin spice lattes vs. chai tea lattes?
Chai for me, please.
I will say that one of my pet peeves around this time of year is people complaining that pumpkin spice [insert food item] "doesn't taste like pumpkin." It doesn't, and it's not supposed to! It tastes like pumpkin spice, i.e., the spice mix traditionally used with pumpkin (cinnamon, nutmeg, and either cloves or allspice). It's like how barbecue sauce doesn't taste like meat, it accompanies meat, and we don't complain that barbecue-flavored potato chips taste like the sauce and not the meat.
Coats vs. oversized sweaters?
Coats. Oversized sweaters on top of my oversized self make me look a bit like a knitted tent.
Beanies vs. berets?
I'll have to say beanies, as I've never figured out a way to wear a beret that's both flattering and actually stays on my head. Too much hair, I think.
Candy corn vs. peanut butter cups?
I mildly dislike candy corn, but I loathe peanut butter cups, so...candy corn it is.
S'mores vs. apple crisp?
Apple crisp in terms of taste preferences, but the experience of making s'mores with friends is priceless.
Jump in a pile of leaves vs. swing on a tire swing?
Tire swing! More fun and fewer earwigs.
Corn maze vs. haunted house?
Corn maze forever.
Bob for apples vs. visit a pumpkin patch?
Pumpkin patch!
Whipped cream on hot chocolate vs. marshmallows on hot chocolate?
Marshmallows, but it's a near thing.
I hope you all have a lovely fall!
