GRMC Employees Share Favorite Fall Activities

Vicky Norrish, GRMC laboratory and compliance director, with her children,
Owen and Olivia, before the "Off the Beaten Path" race in September at the
Jacob Krumm Nature Preserve, located south of Grinnell.

Do you ever get stuck in a creative rut, resorting to your ‘typical’ go-to fall activities and projects? Us, too! So, to help fill your fall agenda, GRMC employees chipped in with some of their favorite fall activities.

People tend to fall in love with the warm, comforting scents of spiced apples and pumpkins in autumn. Luckily, there are many fun activities this time of year that revolve around these decadent seasonal fragrances.

“Fall is apple time! I love anything to do with apples! I love to bake them, can them, cook them, [and] eat them!” – Jessica Batchellor, coding

“My family and I love to visit a pumpkin farm every fall. It is so great to spend an entire day just making memories. We also farm, so we spend many hours in the combine and unloading corn and beans. Fall time is such a special time for my family.” – Robin Ferguson, environmental services

“I like to go to the pumpkin farm with my grandkids.” – Janet Lacey, quality and patient experience

“This time of year I enjoy a night out with friends as we go to several haunted houses around Iowa. It’s a nice getaway to enjoy a night out and have some fun. I also enjoy picking apples from our apple tree, and this year we had a little pumpkin patch that we have watched grow and now have about 12 pumpkins to decorate and carve with the kids.” – Kayla Moyer, environmental services

Being outdoors in the cooling autumn air is a great way to exercise comfortably or relax, even under the stars, warmed by a glowing fire.

“I love to fall camp; hiking, nighttime campfires, the sound of dry leaves…it’s all good!” – Amy Brown, integrated medicine

 “I love to go for a walk outside on a nice day and take in all the colors of the leaves, and with my family we have bonfires at night.” – Michelle Davies, physical therapy

“My favorite fall activity to do with my family is to have bonfires…fortunately for us, Gilman still allows people in town to have fire pits. It’s so nice to sit outside listening to the fire crackle, get rid of dead or rotten tree branches in the yard, and, of course roast hotdogs or marshmallows for s’mores.” – Heidi Fuller, care coordination

“My favorite fall activity is sitting in a tree. I love to bow hunt, but it’s not always about the deer; I am at complete peace sitting 20 feet in the air with nothing to do or stress about beyond what’s happening around me. It always makes me feel better when [my wife] Jamie goes with me, and I can’t wait for the day when I can start taking my kids. Any way you look at it, I love being in a tree on fall days, just soaking in everything that most of us take for granted.” – Eric Hodina, information technology

“Anyone who knows me knows that one of my most favorite things to do in the fall is run the ‘Off the Beaten Path’ race that takes place every September at the Jacob Krumm Nature Preserve right outside of Grinnell. I jog at this nature preserve all summer and look forward to participating in this race every fall. This year was even more special because my kids, Owen and Olivia, ran the race with me. It was a super morning with great weather and we all ended up placing in our age divisions. Definitely a Saturday we will all remember!” – Vicky Norrish, lab and compliance director

“Read in the hammock outside.” – Kristi Oksendahl, nutrition services

“Take a long walk through tree-lined streets on a sunny day with a breeze so the leaves are falling as I walk. Enjoy the beauty. And if the sidewalk is piled with leaves, I kick my way through them!” – Linda Ollinger, information technology

The hues of fall heat up as the temperatures drop, lavishing treetops with rich reds and glorious golds, and sprinkling sidewalks with arresting shades of orange. Drinking in the beauty of the season is well-liked by many.

“My favorite fall activity is taking photographs. The colors this time of year are spectacular – from the sunrise to the sunset to every tree and field in between! Get out and enjoy the scenery before winter comes!” – Becky Froias, surgery

“My favorite fall festivity is driving around to look at the beautiful tree colors. One of the prettiest drives not too far away is Interstate 380 between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. That has always been one of my favorite fall scenes.” – Tricia Kilmer, human resources

“There are many things that I enjoy doing in the fall – looking at all the beautiful colors of the landscape, decorating outside my home, really enjoying just being outside with the beautiful weather, and seeing my grandkids trick or treat.” – Michelle Reitzler, hospice

Fall and football are seemingly synonymous. Sports fans around the nation celebrate the arrival of autumn.

“Fall means going to my nephew’s football games, watching Iowa Hawkeye football, and watching Kansas City Chiefs football!” – Tammi Wagenknecht, health information management

Decorating for fall and/or Halloween makes many feel extra festive, and often has nostalgic ties.

“My favorite fall activity is decorating my house for the little tykes at Halloween and Thanksgiving. When my daughters entered high school, they said that since they weren’t children anymore I didn’t need the house decorated, but I still enjoy decorating it. We all love to get together to walk the town and see everyone’s outdoor fall décor, and it makes my heart happy to be together!” – Maggie Carlton, facilities management

“I love the fall basically because I can finally go outside. I am so much happier when it is cooler outside. I love decorating for fall, especially for Halloween. The fall flowers, the colors, the smells, and all the junk sales that start popping up. And then there’s getting ready for my next favorite season…CHRISTMAS!” – Sandy Groenendyk, environmental services

This is a small sampling of GRMC employees and their favorite fall festivities, so we want to hear from YOU! Comment on this post on our Facebook page to share your favorite fall activity.