TSS: First Fall Weekend

In the Midwest we have a saying:  "If you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes."  This week is living proof of that adage.  Monday was sunny and hot - high near 90 degrees.  The air condition was running full blast and all were dressed in shorts and t-shirts.  Today the morning weather greeted me with a cloudy and chilly - 49 degrees - fallish day.  The forecast calls for a week filled with sunny days with highs hovering in the low to mid 70s and I am more than ready for this change of seasons.

Another indication that fall is here can be seen at all the local grocery stores.  I pulled into the parking lot yesterday morning and was greeted with autumnal displays of dried cornstalks, jack-o-lantern pumpkins, bumpy and lopsided gourds, and small bundles of colorful Indian corn.  Just looking at these vivie displays puts a smile on my face.  I plan to take my camera with me someday this week (probably early morning when there will be few shoppers to question my sanity) and experiment with some creative photos of my favorite time of year.

I am not quite sure why I like fall so much.  I literally feel less burdened by life now that I have spotted these tale-tell signs of the season.  I do not feel this way about spring.  I notice the trees starting to bud, and I notice a few of the flowers making their appearance after a landscape of nothing but winter brown, but Spring is just not a season with which I resonate.  Perhaps it is because I am not a gardener, so the anticipation of landscaping is non-existent.  Or perhaps it is because Spring is so short-lived here in Kansas:  we tend to go from from frigid winter to stifling summer in the span of two weeks.  But Spring signals a rebirth - a new chance at life. Spring is a season of hope - or at least in literature it seems that way.  But somehow Spring does not elicit these joyful  emotions within me.

Fall on the other hand literally signals that life is soon coming to an end.  The leaves change from "ever" green to a variety of yellows - reds - and oranges that eventually give way to dried and withered browns before falling off the tree.  Literature tells me that autumn is the prelude to inevitable death.  And yet for me, Fall is filled with living color and the hope of good times ahead.  After all, in the fall we celebrate Homecoming and winning football games; children dress up as their favorite characters and in exchange for a simple greeting receive enough free candy to last until the new year; the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade rings in the start of the holiday season and families from far and wide come together to celebrate the bountiful blessings received throughout the year.  Fall is the time when the temperatures drop, clothes are layered, and sitting by the warmth of the fireplace provides one of the greatest pleasures on earth.  Yes, I do love this time of year - and I plan to enjoy each and every day that this season has to offer.

I mentioned that my daughter was invited to Homecoming this year by a young man who is as enthralled with Harry Potter as much as she.  He had sent her a bouquet of six roses - red and yellow for Gryffindor House - and asked her to the dance in true Hogwarts style.  There was some talk that they would go as Hermione and Ron, but in the end, they decided to attend as themselves --- although as you can see, they both show a strong resemblance to their literary characters.  I am sure a good time was had by all - but I will probably not hear about the festivities until later this afternoon when Mandy finally wakes up.

I hope you all have a wonderful first week of this new season.  I hope that it is filled with cool weather, colorful decorations, and anticipation of good times ahead.