Remembering September

October is the 10th month of the year (it was the 8th month in the Roman calendar, hence the Octo part of the name that stuck) and one of seven months with 31 days. By now most of us are pretty settled into Fall. Here in Florida, it means we're starting to leave our doors and windows open in the morning and evening to take advantage of the first few cool breezes.

During October we celebrate such things as Columbus Day and Halloween, but also lesser known days like Apple Day, Freethought Day and Leif Erikson Day.

But today, on the first of October, people will look at each other and say, "Where did September go? Can you believe it's October already? It'll be Christmas soon!"

I know where my September went. I wrote 35,000 words that month. Celebrated my dad's birthday. Enjoyed the company of my visiting family. Saw a friend get married. Watched my niece perform in Cinderella. Took a trip with my husband and made some new memories.

All in all, September was a good month and while it did go by fast, it went by packed full of good times. My September feels well spent. How about yours?

Happy 1st day of fall!

It's fall, my favorite season of the year. I love seeing the leaves turn brilliant colors. In Ohio, we have a lot of trees, so you can watch forests transform daily to golds, oranges, and reds on your drive to and from work.

Another thing I love about fall is the crispness in the air, that cooling off that means no more air conditioner is needed. You can turn on the heat if you want, or leave it off. You can start a fire and watch the wood crackle, enjoy the smoky scent as you sit around and talk with friends. You can wear long-sleeved shirts and not freeze or sweat to death.

I also luuuuurve Halloween! I love picking out a costume and helping my kids do theirs. And on Halloween night, it's a blast sitting on my front porch and handing out candy to adults, teens, kids, and little babies, all dressed in a wide variety of outfits. It's also fun going through the haunted forest located nearby--I admit, though, that I get freaked out. LOL

I love all things pumpkin--carving them, eating pumpkin pie or cookies, or trying a seasonal coffee drink with pumpkin flavoring. Yum!! I also love the food that comes out in fall, esp. Thanksgiving meals. I love going to the Johnny Appleseed festival and getting candied apples, running through the corn maze (and inevitably getting lost), and drinking cider.

Perhaps the biggest reason I love fall is that it seems like a fresh new start to me. I've been out of high school for *coughcough* years now, but whenever fall comes around, it feels like a new beginning to me. Even moreso than Jan 1 does. I use fall as my time to evaluate where my life is, what I want to change, and how I can get there.

And this fall will have special significance for me, because my novel Stupid Cupid will be coming out on Dec 22! Which I think is actually the LAST day of fall, but whatever. haha. Now that I'm here, I know the time will fly all too quickly, and my debut will be here before I know it.

What are your favorite things about fall?