Falling

Andy Williams may have crooned that Christmas was the most wonderful time of the year, but I disagree.  I have two favorite seasons.  Spring and Fall.  Glory ho if Fall isn't upon us which just makes me happier than a pig in mud with a full trough of corn!

Fall in Southern California is so much different that Southwest Ohio.  So much so that I recall mentally complaining how hot it was a week before Halloween as I was sweating trying to get my son ready for trick or treating at the zoo.  We had to wait until the sun went down a bit to put his costume on because he had a latex zombie chest attached to the front of his costume.  In my day, I remember being bundled up and having to buy the costume in a larger size so that it would fit over your winter coat.  Back home the low is forcasted to hit below freezing next week, while I will be complaining over a chilly 50 something degrees.  Back home the leaves will change and then fall; here the leaves will stay green save for a few types of trees that may or may not lose it leaves.

Fall is comfort to me.  

I wait all year to be able to break out my scarves.  I can only usually wait until mid September and look like a foot when the Santa Ana winds come in and it's 80 degrees out. Scarves replace the chunky necklaces that are my staple during spring and summer.  

It means I can pull out my boots. Both kind.  My stylish black knee high boots and my Uggs.  Uggs you say? In Southern California 50-60 degree weather?  Yes I say.  I HATE being cold.  HATE HATE HATE it and 50 degrees is cold to me now that I am fully acclimated here..  I am not a true So Cal gal though because I won't wear them with shorts and a tank top. (Ok fine - that is a small lie - I did ONCE., but the ex and I were fighting and I was in a hurry to get out of there as quick as I could.  I was in workout gear and my boots were the fastest thing I could get on my feet.  A moment I am not proud of.).

It means fuzzy jammies. Both the footed kind and the non-footed kind.  For both me and my son.  Do you know how snuggley a child is in fleece footed jammies as he crawls into bed with you in the morning still warm from his bed?  NOTHING beats that.  Do I look totally ridiculous in my Hello Kitty pink footed jammies.  Yep!  Do I care?  Nope.  Do I think my fleece leopard print Animal face (from the Muppets) rock?  Yes I do. Angry Bird, Star Wars, stripes and polka dot fleece pants? Check, Check, Check and Check.  No the last ones are not striped AND polka dotted.  They are seperate pants.  Lets not get TOO cray cray.

It means I can actually cover up with the most awesome blanket in the history of blankets.  It's pink soft pile on one side and velour on the other.  It is highly coveted in my household from the cat, the kid and the ex.  I fight all of them for use of MY blanket.  At least the kid offers up his Perry the Platypus blanket in exchange.

It means comfort food.  Soups! (Hello Specialty's Cafe - waiting on the cream of chicken and wild rice soup to come back ASAP!!!).  Stews as in my famous (well in my house at least) beef stew and chicken pot pie stew.  It means I can bake pies because it is no longer too hot to have the stove, much less the oven going,

Lastly it means Thanksgiving is soon upon us, where if we are all getting along, a glorious family day.  Where everyone including Gman helps with dinner. Where we count our blessing  Afterwards we usually head to my friend KC's house and spend a few hours with her family where we know we are blessed because we have good friends.

What can I say?  I just LOVE Fall!