Look who's the cool girl now!!

Dear Fall,

Way to get in there and throw your weight around.

I have thoroughly enjoyed your extended visit this year.

I still have flowers like this blooming in my front yard.

Kudos to you for making your presence known.

We all like you....a lot.

Love,

Mindy

Don't Kill the Messenger!!

Okay, so we all know how I feel about Fall. I wrote about it here.

Poor Fall. It's the season that I hate to love.

Fall is absolutely lovely. It is such a beautiful season and has so much to offer.

The need for a jacket in the morning, only to ditch it on the walk home from school.

That crunch as you walk over those fallen leaves. I love pumpkins and Hot Cider and those stinking candy corns. (I may or may not eat full bags in one sitting...stop judging).

I remember so well planning for weeks what I would be for Halloween.

Fall is lovely. Really it is. It's what comes after Fall that disheartens me.

I know, I know....it's not Fall's fault. It's just doing it's job.

Fall is like the cop who knocks on your door at 2a.m. when your teenager is after curfew. You go to the door...you can see the lights flashing in your driveway. You see your teen standing beside the officer. This could be the most handsome, kind officer you've ever met

but you know what's coming. And you know it's not good.

Fall is that 'you've been served' guy. He looks all nice and friendly and then

Bam!! You've been served. (Just so you know, Heidi Klum is serious about those restraining order threats.)

Fall is that cute waiter at a new restaraunt you've been wanting to try.

He's all charming and flirty (even though you are fully aware that you are old and that he just wants a good tip)

and then he tells you they don't serve Dr. Pepper.

It's the super nice nurse with great hair at your OB/GYN office. She's all smiles until she hands you that...that paper napkin of cover up. (and why are those exam rooms so blasted cold?)

They are all the bearers of bad news.

Fall is a bad news bearer.

It's not Fall's fault.

It's just an unfortunate set of circumstances that she is wedged inbetween the most glorious season and the most grotesque season.

Maybe there should be a post fall/pre winter season.

We could call it "Oh Crap! Here it comes!' I think Hallmark would make a fortune.

The seasons are just a John Hughes 80's movie really.
Spring is shiny and new and makes people feel good. Spring is the peppy cheerleader of the seasons. Everyone likes Spring.
Summer is the Homecoming Queen. She's glitzy and gets a lot of attention. All the other seasons secretly want to be her. Everyone likes her because she's pretty.
Fall is that quiet art girl with the natural beauty. She is a very deep thinker and is very witty but she doesn't say much so she gets looked over most of the time. (this part could also be played by John Cusak)
Winter is that jerky football player who's so obsessed with himself that he teases Fall and causes her to retreat back to her art studio to be alone with her thoughts.
Come on Fall!! Be tougher. Don't let Winter bully you from the main hall. You deserve to eat lunch with the cool kids too. Hang out for a while. Show him that you've got something to say.
You could rock a tiara or a pom pom. And I bet you'd get the coolest song on the soundtrack too.
Okay, I'm done ranting about my hate of all things cold and wintry and the lovely season that precedes all cold and wintry things.
That is all.

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.....

I love the first day of Spring.

It means my favorite time of year is beginning.
It means that swimming, playing and riding bikes is just around the corner.

School is nearing an end and all the t.v. shows are playing the clifhangers.

It's time to get the marshmallow roasters out,

time to dust off the sidewalk chalk

and pull out the slip and slide.

I love planting flowers.

I just love the thought of painted toenails peeking

out of a cute, new pair of strappy sandles.

There's something that comforts me when I see those firework stands

set up on the corners.
And the smell of a great steak on the grill just about does me in.

Summer is a pretty busy, crazy time around here.

We run here, we run there, we eat in the car in a rush to get to our

next fun adventure.

My children have perpetual popsicle

stains running down their faces.

And is there anything better than driving with

the windows down and your favorite music up?

I love everything about it.

Memorial Day is like an invitation to an

amazing dinner party. You look forward to it.

You make plans, you worry about what to wear.

You anticipate.

Today is the first day of Fall. (sniff)

It means that all of those things come to an end for another year.

I have never loved Labor Day.

It's like the subtle cough someone gives

when they want you to leave after that amazing dinner party.

You hear it, you know what it means.... you're no longer welcome.

But darnit, you want just one more hug, one more funny story.

You linger on the porch until they finally just turn the lights off and shut the door,

leaving you with your nose pressed up against the window hoping for one more whiff

of apple pie and ice cream.

It's over.

It's not coming around again for a whole year.

Now you have to find ways to pass the time.

You rake leaves and pull up the flowers.

You put the lawn mower away and make sure the snow shovel is within reach.

You search through the closet to make sure both gloves are still there.

You start drinking hot cocoa instead of ice cold lemonade.

You spend money on snow melter instead of sunscreen.

You trade those warm summer nights on the lawn

for cuddling up by the fire by 6:00.

The potato salads are replaced by vegetable stew.

You actually 'see' the air as it exits your body.

You throw a holiday party or two...

maybe go on a little trip.

You watch all the new shows.

You bundle up kids (oh, I just got tired).

You make snowmen.

Anything to help you avoid thinking about the green grass

that is NOT between your unpainted toes.

You feel blah.

And then, one day when you go out to the mailbox

you look around, you see those little

daffodil shoots coming up, you hear that distant songbird

and you realize that you have yet again,

been invited back to the party.

Here's to enjoying the wait a little more.