Fall in Minneapolis

While we never liked to see summertime end, fall in Minneapolis is truly a beautiful time. There is such a huge variety of trees that the colors are every color imaginable. And because summer is so hot and humid, September usually ushers in a welcome dip in temperature.

I never looked forward to going back to school, but one thing that made this a little easier was shopping for school clothes. I loved the quest every year to put the Fall and Winter wardrobes together. I’d ride the bus downtown with my mom and Grandma and go sales shopping with my Mom at Southdale. Dayton’s was such a great store, but no kid in the 70’s could miss The County Seat.

It was a big deal to see what colors of Levi’s corduroys were out for Fall, and once I’d try on a pair or two at the mall, my mom would often come home and surprise my sister and once she found a sale. “Look, Dusty Rose is one of the Fall colors!” she’d exclaim. Then being quite the seamstress, she’d make several tops to match the newly acquired cords.

I still want a Bob Mackie outfit

The clothing passion came from Grandma Barker, who was always beautifully dressed. Whether it was Sunday church, or a Fall picnic at Minnehaha Falls, she’d be accessorized from her earrings to shoes. We’d sit and watch “The Carol Burnett Show” and “The Sonny and Cher Show” and remark on the costumes. We always paid attention to what Mary Tyler Moore was wearing, and to this day, I am a fan of the show and love the see what the characters are wearing.

Since it was so hot in the summer, the oven was rarely on, so a sure sign of Fall in Minneapolis was starting to smell food baking again. One of my absolute fall favorites to this day is Grandma Barker’s Apple Cobbler. I could barely fit into my dusty rose Levi’s after this, but it was worth every bite.