pic(s) of the day - so much more than applebutter

I think we all agree that Fall is full of many wonderful events, experiences, traditions, scents, tastes, and opportunities. In fact, while most welcome each season, ok, maybe not winter, with a friendly hug, I do not recall quite the ovation that I have ever noticed such a welcome as Fall has received this year. That could be because there were something like 75 days this summer with temperatures over 90 around here. Maybe because we have not seem much more than a drop or two of rain since April. Whatever the reason, I believe everyone is glad to see our friend Fall. One of the traditions I look most forward to is a day spent making my Grandma's homemade applebutter recipe with my momma. We have so much fun together and have mastered the whole process down to a science...ok science is not fun, but we are good! The past two years, we have started our day early with a trip to the local Farmer's Market for our apples. Now in my opinion, that is a great way to start any day, but especially applebutter day. We have met this wonderful German woman named Gina and the last two years, we have bought every apple she had for sale. Both years, she has been blown away and cannot believe we want them all. We manage to draw quite a crowd when buying every apple on the stand, then the drooling starts when share our events of the day. The events of the day...we offer thanksgiving to Pampered Chef for inventing the "Apple Peeler Corer Slicer" let me tell you. It is no small task to prepare 6 bags of apples for cooking. The chopping, the cooking, the spices, the warm smells...what a wonderful day. This year my Aunt Carol joined in the fun and made the day that much better. We laughed as we drank coffee and pigged out on oatmeal raisin cookies while the apples cooked. It is not just the applebutter that makes the day worthwhile. It is the years of memories, it is knowing my Grandma is smiling down on us so proud for making her applebutter taste so good, it is remembering her hugs and her kitchen, it is time with my mom, it is making something special in my home, it is the joy in my dad's face when he has the first bite every year...it is so much more than applebutter...so much more than applebutter.