Labor Day marked the unofficial end of summer, and I celebrated appropriately with bocce ball and badmitton and Dad’s famous pina coladas. Oh what a wonderful summer it was! Boating and jet-skiing in Virginia; My first taste of Pacific Northwest salmon and cherries; Bridal showers, bachelorette parties, and weddings; Celebrating a quarter-century on the Finger Lakes; The quintessential New England vacation complete with hiking in Vermont, whale-watching in Massachusetts, Cape Cod “chowda,” and Newport mansion tours; A memorable adventure to NYC to visit the brother; Driving to Dover to see the family and Hershey to see the boyfriend.
And now it’s time to pack away the khaki shorts, sun dresses, and sandals and pull out the blue jeans, hoodies, and my favorite cowboy boots.
I’m ready for the leaves to turn colorful and the air to grow crisp. I’m ready for college football! Playing cards by the crackling fire at my parents’ house. Hot chocolate with mini marshmallows and movies on Friday nights because it’s too cold to leave my apartment. I’m ready for seasonal beers that taste like pumpkin and gingerbread and candles that smell like cinnamon and nutmeg. My aunt’s apple pie. Chili from the crockpot with warm crusty bread. Flannel pajama pants. Snuggling under my comforter in the morning chill! I’m ready to swap my red nail polish for brown hues and my frizzy humidity hair for smoother locks. Blazers and light scarves. Corduroy skirts and turtle necks. I’m ready to pave new paths through crunchy leaves and pine needles!
Happy to live in PA where sights, smells, tastes, and my wardrobe change with each season.