Ahhhhhh … September … the official beginning of fall, the time when kids are settling back into school, the roads are less crowded and the grocery stores once again belong to moms and retirees, like me.
Fall brings order (until the holidays, when our good habits go all to hell). Fall brings less socializing two nights in a row or drinking too much during the week (yeah, right! my aging body keeps me close to a more rigid constitution regardless of the day of the week, much less the season).
Tighter scheduling shows up in the fall. We are, after all, working around school calendars, with their parent/teacher conferences and designated holiday vacations, either for ourselves or our kids or grandkids.
With September the RV’s and ATVs head back to storage, while vacation homes receive a final sprucing and closing up. We make sure the decks of cards are complete, and that board games aren’t missing pieces before they’re stowed for retrieval the next time we have a few days away.
In spite of the record-breaking heat we’ve had lately, September is generally when we begin to think about making sure the fireplace and chimney are clean and working, that the smoke and carbon dioxide detectors have fresh batteries, and that the irrigation system is backed off watering from daily scorching weather. If the trees haven’t started their massive leaf release, they will soon and the once lush green lawn will be blanketed in brown crispy foliage that pets and kids love to play in.
The Transition
It’s during September that the first day of bracing crispness in the early morning air arrives. As I head out the door, I take a moment to feel the sensation of a brighter coolness I breathe in. That momentary coolness portends of chillier nights as well as fresher mornings.
There’s so much to look forward to as one season fades and the next one begins to bloom, whether it’s summer into fall or winter into spring. I personally like heading into fall and winter because I’m not a great hot- weather person. In fall, I begin to shrug off the lethargy of sweltering days that kept me on the couch with the fan blowing cool air up my skirt.
With the transition of summer into winter, its back to the straight and narrow. But don’t be disheartened; the end-of-year holidays, and all the decadence they bring, are right around the corner.
But, before then …
Let’s have one last fling. Let’s stock up on fall corn, hot dogs, and the makings for s’mores. Let’s not quiz the grandkids about school, but focus on fun and play activities that celebrate their youth. Let’s make another pitcher of lemonade and attend a few more baseball games. Lets inhale the aphrodisiac smell of newly cut grass for a few more weeks. Let’s not put our bathing suits away or cover up the patio furniture just yet.
I plan to luxuriate in this fall month … the sun on my face … watching Kali beg me to keep the slider open just another hour so she can experience the outdoors from her indoor cell (well, that’s what I assume she’s staring at me like that for).
I’m looking forward to winter … a lot. Before we get there, though, I’ll squeeze all the specialness of fall out of September and make more memories with family and friends.