Ten Splendid Things About Fall

Hey, you might love summer so much you are weeping into your chardonnay right now because the temperatures have dropped and the leaves have suddenly gone all crayon-box on us.

But I also know at least some of you love September as much as I do. Here are some things I love about early Fall (you know, “early Fall”: before the dark, rainy misery of November and the 10 feet of snow we will surely get in December.)

10. Less sweat.

9. If I should need an hour of relaxing, awful television that is not so awful as to make me woof my cookies (like “Tila Tequila Looking For A Gay or Straight Lover,” for example), the television will oblige me. 30 Rock! Gossip Girl! Glee! Being Erica! Save me from reality tv, won’t you please.

8. That feeling of fun’s over, now get to work that will always accompany September. If I was going into grade seven, I might resent this but as someone who really ought to get to work, I appreciate the subconscious kick in the ass. Now if you’ll excuse me I have to go sharpen some pencils for absolutely no reason except that I like the smell.

7. Wearing jeans but not having to put on socks just yet. Also, putting on the jeans and finding money, lip balm and earplugs in the pockets. My jeans come pre-stocked for every eventuality!

6. Sweaters. I love sweaters. Especially cardigans and sweater coats and old, wooly, soft sweaters and all sweaters. All of them. (And sock monkey pants.)

5. The smell of damp leaves and the sound of plants curling up to rest until next year.

4. I don’t feel nearly so lame for going to bed at 9 pm if the sun is down too.

3. Not having to chase my children around the park, spraying them with sunscreen.

2. Cooking all those old favourites; soups and stews and chilis and spaghettis and cookies and anything that involves more than one burner on the stove.

1. Drinking glasses of rich, red wine, bare feet tucked under a blanket, rain beating against the windows, talking to each other and making plans.

(Oh – bonus points for our annual federal election! Let’s all vote AGAIN and maybe this time something different will happen.)