Fall's foreshadowings...

I'm happy...

Finally, oh finally, we have a cloudy day! Not only that, but the clouds are dark and swollen… looks like a storm might erupt any moment. I took a break from “work” and went outside. I noticed a foreshadowing of fall; little withered leaves skittering across the walkway. The sound of the leaves being pushed by a warm breeze, and the dark, steel-blue clouds above sent a little jolt of excitement and relief through me.

If you can’t tell already, I love the Fall. It is my favorite season! Oh, how I’d absolutely love to get married in late September or October, even November. But, as it turns out, it wouldn’t work. Some people dream of Spring and Summer, but Autumn is my ideal season. The blazing summer heat finally comes to a close, and everything shifts in an expectant fashion: school starts, the temperature changes, sweaters are pulled out of dusty closet corners.

Fall brings back memories of my home town, where I did most of my growing up from 3rd grade through high school. I could always tell that school was drawing nearer when the snare drum rhythm of the high school marching band echoed all the way to my front yard (it was a rather small town :D). Go NBHS! (Believe it or not, those were our school colors... brown and gold).

When I was little, I’d notice the first signs of Fall (i.e. garden spiders spinning their webs, premature Halloween displays at Jo-Ann Fabrics and drugstores) and immediately start planning for Halloween: making scarecrows, coordinating my costume, drawing window decorations. And even though I have mixed feelings about Halloween now, I do remember it being so taken by it all.

Job, although he doesn’t get revved about Halloween itself, still goes trick-or-treating each year, which is funny, because he doesn’t even like candy. But if a 6’3” guy wearing a trench coat and Russian fur cap came to my door, I certainly wouldn’t dare refuse him candy. Or wait… that was two years ago. Last year he wore oversized sunglasses, a mullet wig and stuffed a huge pillow up his shirt to make him look fat. Either way… he always returns with a big smile on his face and a pillow case full of Smarties, Pixie Sticks and “fun-sized” chocolate bars. (by the way, why are they called “fun-sized”? The king-sized candy is what’s really “fun” J)
Ahh… Autumn!