I was cold yesterday.
Like, genuinely cold. Cold enough to put on another layer. Cold enough to consider socks. Cold enough, my friends, to entertain the idea of a scarf.
Autumn is coming and I’m so excited I could just pee myself. Just one big puddle of pee around me, all the time.
Fall brings all the super awesome things to my life. It brings delicious food and seasonal specialties (don’t pretend you don’t look forward to a pumpkin spice something-or-other all year long, because you do). It’s the perfect season for clothes because I can sport my summer clothes in layers with my winter clothes. For one beautiful moment in the year, nothing in my wardrobe is off limits. I can wear makeup without it melting off ten minutes later. I can do my hair without it falling apart into a humid, hot mess. I can go for walks and be excited just to breathe autumn air. I can – holy cow – step foot outside my apartment without my armpits instantly turning into marshlands.
Mmm. Armpit swamp.
Road trips are fantastic because they’re chock full of beautiful, vibrant arrangements of leaves. The air has a slight sense of musk and wetness to it that makes me want to cuddle up with a blanket or a book or a great bowl of something warm and delicious. I dream about going out to a cabin somewhere and starting a fire where I can hang by its warmth with no one to bother me.
The autumn months hint at holiday cheer without bogging me down with the stress of it all. I can happily browse for a thoughtful gift here or there without the pressure of knowing I have to have it all done right away. I can dream of all the paid time off I’m going to take from work without actually taking it yet. Just the thought of it is enough to get me through two months without even thinking of taking an extra day off.
Work begins to lighten up because folks are cashing in on vacation time before the holiday galas and events start calling them somewhere new every other evening. People are making big, wonderful plans for the season that keeps them hopeful enough to stay in a good mood. And the idea that holiday cheer is slowly encroaching upon them manages to turn some of the sourest sourpusses into decent fake smilers.
Everything is lovely when the leaves are changing.
I don’t think I can make it to the 23rd of this month before giving in to my excitement. I’m already lighting a pumpkin candle every evening and dreaming about how I’ll arrange the fall decorations this year. I’m placing blankets on every sitting surface just so I can nuzzle them later. I’m flipping through magazines looking at amusing food to make for the season.
My favorite so far is tiny hot dogs wrapped up in croissants like mummies and given faces with mustard.
Well, that settles it. This weekend will be spent baking, hanging decorations, and wrapping tiny wieners in bread. I hear the forecast calls for thunderstorms.
Perhaps even some puddle splashing is in order. ♣♣♣
The Jackie Blog 
Good post Jackie.. I love the autumn too. I love the way that the leaves change colour and how you can see the trees changing each time you pass. I love the yellows, oranges , reds and browns..all getting ready for the winter months and before too long regrowth and life again. It truly is a wonderful time of year!
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minus the browns. no browns.
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Great points Jackie. Sure the leaves are pretty, the clothes and decorations are cool but I find myself kicking and screaming into the transition of summer to fall. I love me some summer! I am in mourning. Another thing I dread is the inundation of STINK BUGS! UGGGGGHHH!!!!!
Once it is full fledged fall I will be okay……. 🙂
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Oh. OH I forgot about stink bugs. Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh
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Hey, you’re jumping the autumn gun here. But I don’t blame you. Ditto, ditto and ditto to all of the above. It has been sunny, blue-skied and 71 here for the last 3 days and I am coming back to life. Bring on fall!
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WOOOO!!! I’ll make us cheerleading suits.
…no? Yes?
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Ew. I am going to rain on your parade.
Don’t get me wrong- I like fall just fine. But here’s what it comes down to… ITS THE GATEWAY TO A WINTERY HELL.
1) Yay yummy food!! So yummy, in fact, you make it a point to diet come New Years because you’ve just gained 1894389 pounds.
2) Not only do you have the option for your entire wardrobe, you also have to drag it around with you all the time. Cold in the morning, hot during the day, cold in the evening. Sweater on, off, on, off, on, off… and when it’s off you’re stuck lugging it around. Are you a purse crammer? Do you try shoving it in there? Do you leave it sitting in the car or office, just to have it no where near you when you need it hours down the line? Do you just drape it over your arm, knocking it into things? No china shops anytime soon!
3) ITS COLD!
4) ITS WET!
5) (And most importantly) It’s never going to happen. “What isn’t going to happen?” you may be thinking. Cuddling up with a book or a movie, going to a cabin, hosting holiday festivities with eggnog and homemade cookies, warmth and peace as the cold world waits with anticipation for the holidays ahead. Doesn’t happen. You know why? Because you’re busy. You think you won’t be. You think you’ll make time. But will you? No. Because you’re busy. Your mess has gotten bigger because you’re indoors more often, you have more laundry to do because sweaters are baulkier, it’ll be dark come 7:00 and apple picking will not be on your list of things to do. Even getting out of bed will be a cold, miserable chore.
…So did you see my post about “Ro the Grouch” coming out?
Sorry to rain on your parade. …leaving the leaves wet and extremely dangerous to drive or bike on.
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This is depressing. I’m going to go stick my head in an oven…full of jack-o-lantern cookies.
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Yes. I’m sorry. The cold weather makes me very, very cranky. Fall loses all its zest when I remember that it ushers in winter. Stupid winter.
….
I’m sorry. ::shamefully walking away with my tail between my legs, knowing I’m the Negative Nancy that just made pegoleg go oven diving::
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No, it’s OK now. I perked right up when I found out you have a tail. How does that work out for you?
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Inconvenient. As if finding a good pair of pants isn’t hard enough already…
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EXCELLENT idea.
The cookies, not the head.
Never mind.
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Ro – I am so with you! I feel your pain!
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1) Show some self control, you wild animal you.
2) Pack a bag. Put a sandwich in it.
3) Hence the not-sweating-buckets-of-grossness
4) Excuse to play in puddles
5) It does happen. I do it a lot. In fact, I frequently put off things I “should” be doing in exchange for blanket time. You should too, cranky pants.
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I am totally with you. I just hate to rush it, but I know that’s not what you’re doing. I’m bizarrely superstitious about rushing autumn. It’s an issue.
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Oh no I’m definitely rushing it. Because it’s begun to snow in October here and I really just can’t take the idea of autumn lasting only a few short weeks. The sooner it gets here, the longer it can live before Old Man Winter puts on his cranky pants.
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And what a thing to be suspicious of, by the way. Or to label yourself as. LOL
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If global warming has it’s way. Say goodbye to autumn and goodbye to polar bears too and New York….okay I’ll stop!
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ITS ITS !
damn you morning typos.
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When you posted this, it was my lunchtime and I was severely confused for 3.5 seconds.
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It was such a nice post until now. 😛
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I love the autumn. It’s the best time of the year as far as I’m concerned. Must be from growing up in the middle of the mountain and being able to walk through all those beautiful leaves as they changed color. I love, love, love the smell of autumn outside, as well as inside. Fresh baked goods inside, burning leaves, fireplaces, etc outside. It’s all just so very warm and cozy. Bring it on but may it go very, very slowly. I hate the winter driving!!! and cold.
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I could have had my readers just write this for me. Ya’ll’s comments are much more full of imagery!
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I love scarves, boots and cardigans! I love colorful leaves, and pumpkins. I love corn mazes, apple picking, autumn food and decorating. I love the hint of excitement in the air. And now going to target takes me twice as long because I have to stop and sniff all the autumn candles, every single time I go.
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I wish I could have had that excerpt while I was writing. Lovely 😉
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Wow, I’m jealous! It’s still 110+ in Arizona….it feels like fall will never get here.
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It will. Just google search fall pictures and meditate really hard.
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You have embodied all my feelings about fall into this post…loved it!
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Thanks, Pickle! For the record, my apartment is now completely decked out in leaves and pumpkins and pies of all sorts (all baked by Dave..)
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YAY! Autumn is officially here! 😀
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Although my summer was extremely cold (Curse England’s weather!) which may mean Autumn will be even colder…
Gulp.
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Come to New England. I hear it’s… New. And more colorful 😉
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