Fall-la-la-la-la

I noticed this past week that the drive to work was a bit more colorful than usual (I mean the trees, not the language!) I kept wondering: Why are the leaves turning so early this year? Then I see on my calendar today that autumn has officially arrived! Apparently I have been in denial -- I am not ready for summer to truly be over, nor is my list of things to do this summer even close to being checked off. Sigh ...

Don't get me wrong, I do love autumn. Days like today are what I consider the perfect fall day. It was warm (high 70s) and sunny. I was able to sneak in a long walk after church and before football kicked off at noon.

Today the Vikings were actually on TV, which is rare in our area. Since we scored right after I got home from my walk, I wasn't allowed to change clothes until after the game. I might jinx it, ya know. So I sat out on the deck at halftime since it was so nice out. Then I must have done something wrong the second half because we lost. I bet it was that darn pillow that was in front of me instead of in its place behind me -- like in the first half! I'm sure it has nothing to do with our pathetic offensive line. That's OK, there's lots of season left -- and hopefully a lot of days like today.

I don't mind the chilly days, though. It gives me a chance to wear one of my 438 sweatshirts or perhaps burn one of my 378 candles! What to choose? Pumpkin spice, coffee cake, apple pie? Oh my! (It's no wonder we fatten up for winter. I just want to eat those candles right up! I mean, I don't actually eat the candles. I likely find an unhealthy substitute, though.)

One thing I do like about the mild weather is that I can resume running again. It has been too dark already to go in the morning and too hot at noon. Soon I can rejoin my lunch-hour posse and we can make tracks around Iola. Or I could dust off the treadmill and go in the morning. Why do I always forget about that? It's not like I don't trip over it just about every time I'm in the basement!

The thing I like best, though, is the splash of color every where. The leaves are beautiful on the trees and, I have found, can be a gorgeous blanket covering the ground. It's one of those things that I can never quite capture on camera. But that won't stop me from trying it again this year!

It goes without saying that I always look forward to our annual sister weekend in the fall. In mid-October will be our ninth annual Wild Women's Weekend, which really requires a blog of its own (or two).

This fall, I have another special event to look forward to. Next weekend I will be getting together with a couple of college friends I haven't seen in more than 10 years. We realize that since we all live in Wisconsin, it's ridiculous we haven't done this sooner. I mean that's why they invented roads!

Of course, sometimes life just gets in way. I'm going to vow not to let that happen anymore. To me autumn is a signal for change. As the leaves find a beautiful new wardrobe to slip into, so should we. Who do I want to be? Where do I want to go? It's never too late to travel the colorful paths that lead back to old friends -- or perhaps new friends, new challenges, new blessings. I can't wait to get started.