I threw my clock out the window...

Is it just me or has this year literally disappeared?

One minute it's my birthday and snowy and I'm working mandatory overtime like a boss.

Next minute it's July and there's a pool of sweat under the chair I melted on in our un-air conditioned house.

Now it's suddenly chilly again, the leaves are changing color, Starbucks is swamped by pumpkin fiends, there are already Christmas trees at Walmart, Johnny and I have been married for a year (a YEAR people! And no one died!) and I'm in two weddings this month.

That's right, two. And I'm wearing orange for both. Go figure.

It is the beginning of bowling season, I made a rather tasty loaf of pumpkin bread, my 'little' sister turns 24 on Friday, and it's about that time to start watching all the seasons of Smallville again.

This is my absolute favorite time of year. I can take or leave spring. I deal with winter by wearing lots of sweaters and scarves and boots and gloves and drive the icy streets with white knuckles. I hate summer. But fall has the perfect amount of chill in the air for a sweater and no coat. You can smell the leaves changing on the trees, listen to them drift to the ground and land with that soft swishing sound. It's the time of year when I usually want to do that deep cleaning everyone seems to equate with spring. I don't want to clean in spring. I want to get out of the house I've been cooped up in since early November and enjoy the warmth. But during the fall it's time to get ready to stay inside and avoid the ice and chill and wind and snow by lighting a fire and drinking tea in a nice, clean, comfortable house. Imagine all the bears out there eating whatever they can in preparation for the hibernation. That's exactly what fall is. Preparing for hibernation.

But on the side also enjoying raking leaves and jumping in them, sitting on the front steps waiting for trick-or-treaters, bundling up in warm clothes and blankets and turning on the space heater for work so that my fingers don't freeze off, making a trip to the pumpkin patch, etc, etc etc. All of the best things in life happen in the fall. So sad it only lasts for two months!

Enjoy the fall, friends. :) That's my gift to you.