Pretty... scary

No, I'm not talking about the election, though it is pretty scary. I am talking about the current exhibits at the New York Botanical Garden. It is around 80 degrees in New York City today, and since Kiku: The Art of the Japanese Garden and Scarecrows & Pumpkins are only on display until the end of the month, I decided to take the morning off and go visit (before the weather turns cold and rainy).

Here are some of my favorite photos from today's outing.

The return of Pumpkin Spice Season

[Alternate title: Pumpkin Spice: The Meme That Wouldn't Die]

Welcome to another Pumpkin Spice Season, that special time of year, formerly known as October, where everything is flavored with that magical, mystical seasoning known as "pumpkin spice" (what we in our house still refer to as "cinnamon" and "ginger")

I admit, there was a time, many years ago, when I looked forward to having a Pumpkin Spice Latte (now known simply by the abbreviation PSL to the pumpkin spice and Starbucks cognoscenti), back before Pumpkin Spice became a meme.

Pumpkin Spice Milano Cookies

And even now, the thought of a Pumpkin Spice Latte seems quaint compared to some of the outrageous pumpkin spice products clogging supermarket shelves -- from Nabisco Pumpkin Spice Oreos and Pepperidge Farm Pumpkin Spice Milano Cookies (blasphemy!) to Pumpkin Pie Spice Pringles (ew) and Pumpkin Pie Spice Jif Peanut Butter (WTF?) and Thomas' Pumpkin Spice Bagels (no, just no -- though they are made with "real pumpkin").

What's next? Pumpkin Spice Condoms?

(Before you all get too excited about Pumpkin Spice Condoms, which IMHO, are a brilliant idea, I regret to inform you that the rumors about Durex creating a limited edition Pumpkin Spice Condom are false. Sadly. However, I would not be the least bit surprised to see them come next Pumpkin Spice Season.)

Fortunately, in another month or so, Pumpkin Spice Season will be but a memory and we can move on to Peppermint and Gingerbread season.

It's the Great Pumpkin Spice Meme, Charlie Brown

If the Peanuts classic It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown were made today (or last year or the year before last) instead of in 1966, I'm pretty sure it would have been called It's the Great Pumpkin Spice Latte, Charlie Brown (or maybe just It's the Great Pumpkin Spice [fill in the blank], Charlie Brown).

While I enjoy a nice warm Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte as much as the next suburban yoga-pant wearing mom, I fear the pumpkin spice trend, or meme, has gotten waaaay out of control.

Indeed, everywhere you go or look, there's pumpkin spice something -- coffee, drinks, cupcakes. (The teenager actually made pumpkin spice latte cupcakes the other day, which were quite the hit at school and which she'll be replicating for an upcoming cupcake competition.)



Even McCormick, the spice company, has come out with a special Pumpkin Pie Spice, which, as I recall, used to be known as Cinnamon. Whatever.

Heck, if I knew pumpkin spice was so damn popular, I would have named our new clothing line Pumpkin Spice Clothing instead of Prepster Pineapple. (Though technically, the teenager came up with the name -- and the logo.)

So do you think it's too late to change the name of our brand new, super comfy Prepster Pineapple yoga pants to Pumpkin Spice Yoga Pants? (Our pineapple logo looks practically like a pumpkin.)

Oops! Look at the time. Time to go run some errands -- get me a pumpkin spice latte! Ciao!

Boo!

Maybe it's because, as a child, my mother often called me J. Ellen Pumpkinhead (hey, it was better than being called Flossie fat legs), but I have always loved pumpkins -- pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin lattes. And I particularly love a good, well-carved, scary-looking pumpkin. And what better place to find a crop of scary-looking pumpkins than at the New York Botanical Garden's Haunted Pumpkin Garden, which runs through October 31st (aka Halloween).

These two scary fellows were my favorites.

I also liked the spooky little mushroom pumpkins...

and the pumpkin that said pumpkin.

And what would a haunted pumpkin garden be without a scaredy cat?

I love pumpkin season!