Shovel it

So, last night it dropped to 27 degrees in Embarrass, Minn. Embarassing indeed. Who lives there?

I turned my heater on while driving to work this morning.

They’ve taken down all the fresh fruit/vegetable stands in the area.

My dad began his morning with Swiss Miss hot chocolate.

A few misbehaved trees are already turning yellow.

Football is on. Preseason, but still.

Students are back in class.

Newscasts are reporting live from the Minnesota state fair.

There’s Halloween stuff—crap—in the stores already.

None of this is cool. Not cool at all. One of my girlfriends has apologized a couple of times during the past few weeks because she’s ecstatic about the onslaught of fall, and I’m… well, I’m not. And the thing is, normally I am. When I lived in Cali, the fall months were the toughest. I was most homesick then because really, who wants to go to the beach in late October? It’s just a time for fires in the fireplaces and blankets. It just IS. (Don’t even get me started on having to cut down a Christmas tree amongst cacti!)

Autumn has always been my favorite time of year. I want to get married in the fall. I gravitate toward fall colors—browns, oranges, deep reds, golds. I absolutely LOVE making soups and breads. I really can’t make pumpkin bread enough during the fall months. And, hot apple cider. Oh sweet hot apple cider. I love warm sweaters and hooded sweatshirts more. The smell of the leaves...

It’s a time of new beginnings, new pencils. It’s when I moved to California, and it’s when I moved back. And this year, it’s when I will be moving into my very own home. There will be a beautiful, orange pumpkin on my stoop almost immediately to celebrate fall. And if you walk by, you will be sure to smell good things coming from my wonderfully large kitchen. So please come in.

But I’m just not ready yet. This girl's wearing her flip flops for at least another month. And tank tops? They're not going away either. And friends, don't think I've stopped suggesting summer activities yet. Embarrass you can take your 27 and shove it! Or maybe it should be SHOVEL it.