Harvesting Nostalgia

We've all heard of rose-colored glasses. But I propose that we start using copper-colored glasses to describe the hues that herald from the trees and the fallen leaves during Autumn. That is how I felt about this weekend in Tennessee.

Most of my mom's best friends from college live in the Nashville area. Since we were very young, we would go to visit them around Halloween and see the Pumpkin Festival in Franklin, Tennessee, a quaint town just outside of Nashville. When planning this weekend visit, I hoped to rekindle that nostalgia.

A weekend filled with catching up with old friends while eating food that sparked memories and fill the house with savory aromas is how I would love to spend every weekend!

When arriving to my mom's best friend's apartment, we were welcomed with wine and an assortment of cheese and crackers. Only the best, most true Southern hospitality is always represented by my mom's friends. After a night of sitting on the twinkle -lit porch catching up and laughing, time seemed to drift into the next day...

We started the morning with the drive out to Franklin on Hillsboro Road which is the most beautiful road in the Fall! The trees glisten marigold and saffron in between the classic Tennesse style farmhouse and old horse farm mansions. We even spotted Sheryl Crow's Texas Longhorns at her fence grazing near her Nashville home!

The pinnacle of Saturday though was Pumpkinfest, which has evolved iconicallly into a centerpiece of the Halloween season for many in the Nashville area. We tried to get their very early to beat traffic and find a parking spot (recommended!), but were not very successful. We managed to stay within walking distance, and the scent of cooking kettle corn grew closer as we neared the festival.

The streets were bustling with so many people and the most Golden Doodles I have ever seen - many with costumes on! The streets were filled with tents of vendors and local shops, and the roads were painted with fallen leaves. The Registry was lovely and gave me inspiration for future holiday parties, and we also loved a small boutique called Molly Green, where I found a pretty pink blouse I could not resist! We had the opportunity to stroll and enjoy a while before the weather had different intentions for the day. It rained heavily for about an hour when we decided to find dry shelter and a warm beverage. Our haven was Merridee's Bakery & Restaurant, a space lined with smooth wood-paneled details, a tempting bakery case, and was decorated with Tennessee history. I ended up getting the Cinnamon Roll latte, a Pumpkin Bar, and a piece of crumbly Coffee Cake. The sweets tasted very traditional, and the coffee was just what I needed - warm and perfectly sweet.

After more shopping and walking around the now wet, hay bale- filled streets, we decided to stop for lunch at the Franklin Mercantile Deli, a local breakfast and lunch hub that has now been around for twenty years. From their lengthy chalk board menu, we decided to try their trio of House made Tuna Salad, Chicken Salad, and Pimento Cheese served over spring mix. And I cannot forget to mention my new favorite thing, Fruit Tea! Fruit Tea is the perfect mix of Juice and Tea and spices, served over ice. This tea is a Music City cult classic that can be found at just about every restaurant and each place has a different recipe. I had so much of this literal liquid gold this weekend that I am determined to experiment with my own recipe...stay tuned!

After the go-go-go day in Franklin, we concluded the last day of our lovely weekend with our childhood friend's bingeing Halloween treats on the couch and watching Practical Magic. That really made me feel like a kid again! When getting older, it's so hard to keep up with childhood connections when you can all feel so busy, but it is so valuable. I have a deep connection with those that saw me through every stage of my life, and vice versa.

This weekend was healing and definitely conjured up those nostalgic feelings! Hope to go visit again soon.