Autumn

It's almost that time of year. Autumn. Fall. My favorite time of year.

In Florida, the change of season doesn't really mean anything, except maybe football season is underway - just that like Groundhog Day (another personal favorite these days) means nothing to people who live where it's (almost) always summer.

In Pennsylvania, and all over the north, fall means something different. Chilly, crisp, cool, fresh air; the changing of the leaves; high school football games; bundling up for college games; sweaters, jeans, and the start of jackets; county fairs (an all-time favorite of mine!); hot chocolate and funnel cakes.

Now that I've been living away for so long (almost 5.5 years!), I miss it even more than I thought - no, KNEW - I would. I love walking out of my house on a fall day leading up to Halloween, taking a deep breath of the cool air and feeling refreshed. Rejuvenated.

The smell of pies and apple cider warming my hands after the Halloween parade. Halloween just isn't the same. Brooke can't wear any of the bunny rabbit or other furry critter costumes I want so badly to put her in because it is just too hot down here. I can't get excited about gingerbread and apple cider because it is just not the same.

I remember in college, seeing snow flurries before Halloween - and I knew Halloween would be a great night of children dressed as ghosts, goblins, and other "scary" costumes sneaking through the dreary, foggy night - and I was right. That Halloween, I went to Jim's apartment in Cresson to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters and it was the best, spookiest Halloween night a kid could ask for.

On Sunday, Jim and I were watching football. I looked outside and it was gray, cloudy, rainy - a perfect dreary-looking day (I enjoy them on occasion, although usually not). It looked like a rainy PA fall day (insert green landscaping and palm trees for the oranges and reds of fall - each beautiful in their own right). I felt like I should be wearing jeans and a (light) sweater. Instead, I put on a tank and shorts, yet again, and walked out into the 90 degree weather to go to Kohl's - where I couldn't find Brooke any appropriate clothing because everything was better suited for the fall and winter of the North.