Ahhhhhhtumn

The changing of seasons is always exciting. A season lasts just long enough so that I never tire of it, just simply wave goodbye til next time. Now, as a native Californian, seasons don't show themselves in their fullest potential like they do in other parts of the United States so I rely more on the feelings or emotions or events of a particular season to get me excited about it.

Autumn is my favorite!  There's something about this time of year that makes me feel like I just got home after the carefree adventures of summer.  Maybe it's the rich colors of the season. The golds, browns, and reds produce a deep warmth while on the surface the air is cool and crisp.

NOT! Are you freakin kidding me with this heat!!!! Seriously? I am so done with being hot and sweaty I could scream! Summer has way worn out it's welcome and the autumn I so fondly speak of is way over due. Where the hell are you?

So in my effort to WILL autumn out of hiding I'm baking hot pancakes in the morning and chicken pot pies at night! I'm running the air, shutting the blinds, and bundling up in my cozies in staunch protest of this lingering summer/lazy fall. I'm ready to wear my sweaters, scarves, and dammit! I need an excuse to buy a new pair of boots!

The truth is: after a gluttonous summer I really need to hide my body with bulky-but-cute clothes. That is why the cold months follow the hot ones! That's why nature is a woman. She understands that summer is all about chips, salsa, and margaritas. She's just letting me down a little right now....

At any rate (in this case slow) I do look forward to all the things this coming season has to offer. Halloween and Thanksgiving.  Family, friends, and cozy dinners.  Time in the kitchen and sitting by the fire. Football! If I have to I'll keep the air running and the blinds closed and create my own personal autumn.

Another Summer Gone

It's that bittersweet time of year again. Those conflicting emotions of excitement and letdown, the anticipation of things to come and the dread of having to change our routine, new starts vs old habits, and the worst: holding on while wanting to let go. I know it sounds dramatic and maybe a little over thought but today (this whole week actually) has been a big boiling pot of emotion.  My babies are going back to school tomorrow! I'm not ready to have 5th and 6th graders! I'm not ready to start my day earlier than 8am! I don't want bedtimes and homework and projects! I don't want to shell out endless amounts of money for yearbook and PTA and supplies and, horror of all horrors, Science Camp! I don't want to give up the beach and the pool and wandering through the day with countless hours ahead of us to do whatever we please!

Wait a minute! Who's summer am I remembering? Jesus! It sounds like something out of a Jane Austen book! You'd think I had a summer house along the shore full of servants and nannies! Our summer was nowhere near being so footloose and fancy free! It's not even over yet and my memory is already so skewed in the face of what's to come!

On the flip side I'm longing to get back into a routine. To have structure and discipline. I need to get down to some serious work as well. I've been letting my job take a back seat for the past 2 months and I'm ready to make it a priority again. It's nice to relax and allow yourself to be lazy once in a while. But 2 months? Rather than a luxury it becomes a bit gluttonous and turns a reward for a job well done into slovenly dysfunction.

So that's what we're wrapping up folks! Slovenly dysfunction! I just totally talked myself down! Or wrote myself down. My boiling pot of emotion has become a simmering pot with the balanced aroma of sweet memories and savory new beginnings.  And don't think for a minute that I'm oblivious to the amount of cheese in this recipe.....