Autumn

Well, friends, it's September 1st and I turned the heat on today. It was painfully chilly getting out of bed this morning, especially with 102 degrees of warm dog next to me. I really hope that we swing back to late summer but I think when we cross that threshold into fall weather, there's no looking back. Sure, there are warm days stretching even into November but reality is, fall is here. The kids are back in school, the air smells different and I want chili.

So let's celebrate this new season a little, instead of dreading it. Autumn is my favorite season and there are so many wonderful things coming our way.

• FOOTBALL....need I say more?! The best time of the year! I start getting excited in early August waiting for the meaningless pre-season rankings for college to come out so I can see where they slotted my Buckeyes. We now have games on Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays. Still not enough in my opinion. Even though the Browns are a source of continual frustration, I still get goosebumps when I see them on the field. Dawgs barking, script Ohio, beating the crap out of Michigan, Kirk Herbstreit, what's not to love?!
• The food! The flavors of fall are amazing. Give me anything with pumpkin in it and I'm a happy camper. I am like the Forrest Gump of pumpkin...pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, gimme, gimme, gimme. Clambakes are in abundance and Giant Eagle has my favorite chili. Really, does it get better? Ah, yes, the apples. I must confess, I love how apples smell more than how they taste. According to my husband, my mother makes a kick-ass apple pie but I wouldn't know because the only apple pie I like comes from that Scottish restaurant. You know, McDonald's. I am ashamed.
• The clothes. Seriously, fall clothes are the BEST. I cannot remember one single fall season where I was not dressed in some unbearably warm fabric on a 80 degree day in September just because I HAD TO WEAR MY NEW FALL CLOTHES. I did it when I was 8(Holly Hobby acrylic sweater), I did it when I was 20(the J. Crew green and white anorak, you know the one) and I will do it this year, too(TBD.) I love wool, corduroy, cashmere and flannel. LOVE. UGGS, too. Until about February 1st, when I start looking at my closet and thinking, "I am SO SICK of these clothes and I have to wear them until June!"
  

So tell me what do you love about fall?