I love it when the seasons change. I think it may be because I spent so many years in Southern CA where the difference between summer and fall is a mere 5 degrees. Lets face it, palm trees in the fall look pretty much the same as palm trees in the summer. And winter. And spring.

So when I moved here to Oregon, that first fall was magical. I vividly remember walking the back path to campus with my mouth open and my eyes like saucers. I still have the leaves I picked up and marveled over. I loved pulling out my sweaters and boots and winding a scarf around my neck. Coffee tastes life-sustaining on a blustery fall morning and the casserole section of all my cookbooks become dog eared and dirty.

New seasons always feel like new starts for me. A chance to shake off last seasons failures and start fresh. New wardrobe – new beginnings! So I find myself embarking on new plans. A plan to whip this house into shape. A plan to finish my crazy projects that have stagnated. A plan to whip my lazy butt in shape. Of course, all this planning exhausts me but a nice cup of coffee yanks me back on my feet and I’m off again. So this fall, I plan to shed a few pounds, clean out some dirt, and put the finishing stitches on a few projects. Of course, somewhere along the line I’ll burn out but that’s ok. Winter is right around the corner and another fresh start will be here before you know it.

Now all I need to do now is dig out my black kick-butt boots and I’ll be mentally prepared to tackle fall head on.