Sep 25 2026 | By: Wendy Schicktanz
Fall has always been one of my favorite seasons, perhaps because it seems to invite us to slow down and hold close the people we love. There is a special kind of warmth in crisp evenings, golden leaves, and the soft glow of pumpkins resting on porches.
One crisp fall night, my granddaughter and I were snuggled together when she asked me to tell her a bedtime story. Since we both loved pumpkins, I began telling her about a little girl and a giant pumpkin.
That story quickly became her favorite, and she asked to hear it again and again. Before long, the little tale we shared at bedtime began to grow into Ivy Blue’s Greatest Pumpkin Playhouse.
Every autumn, I feel nostalgic when I think of her bedroom at that time and the story that started there. Even the name Autumn found its way into one of my main characters, a small tribute to the season that helped inspire the book.
The earthy scent of falling leaves and the familiar smells of cinnamon and spice always take me back to those quiet nights together. It is amazing how the simple sights, sounds, and scents of each season can unlock memories we carry with us—bringing us back, for just a moment, to the people and stories we love most.
Warmly,
~Wendy
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