Mid-September.

This means the season of beloved birthdays is approaching. Courtney, Aime & Ashley's just passed. Todd, Ryan, Bryan among others are right around the corner. Those are followed by all the holdidays, and then my sister kris and my own's birthdays. Oh the many joys and reasons to celebrate the fall.

Braden called the fall a girl's season last night, something about his lack of enthusiasm for scarves and sweaters I think. I disagree, mainly since its my dad who passed his love of fall on to me, with long autumn strolls, crunching the crisp brown leaves on the trail, hot drinks keeping our own frosty fingers warm. The smell of the air, watching our breath as we talk about life, and soccer.

Fall means time to buy new pens (and other school supplies), reorganize your desk, throw out old clothes and neatly put away new ones. Fall is when families start to hunker in earlier, light fires, and drink hot chocolate. Fall is soup season!

Fall is when you get the warm thunderstorms! Rain falls on your car roof, and you decide to just sit in your driveway for a spell and listen. Fall is when you start new classes, and you are still eager enough to get all your homework done early.

I haven't even mentioned the truly "girly" parts of fall, as far as the beautiful autumn tones of clothes that come out, and the abundance of layers you get to splash together (or I splash together...I pity those of you who are limited by the little thing called "matching").

And when you add to all this, the tons of get-togethers, birthdays, and other opportunities to tell people how important they are in your life, and how dear they are to your heart...how could you not love this blessed season, known by the assonance-obssessed, as autumn?