I let October 1st go by without a mention.

So here, then, are Ten Things about Fall...

...The cool, crispness in the air. Each morning this week, we've awoken to much cooler temperatures. In the South, where we can pretty much live year-round with temperatures hovering around 90 degrees (I kid you not! We have played outside in shorts on many a Christmas afternoon!), the cool Fall mornings are wonderful.

...Looking forward to Halloween. (As a faithful Christian, I also get supreme joy out of the ghoulishness and hijinks of one of my favorite days of the year. It's all in fun, people, so I say Bring it On!) We all--yes, ALL. Gary and I included--dress up every year and do it in rollicking fashion. This year, I'm seriously considering having us all dress up as various super heroes (Can you all imagine Gary and I digging back into the 1978 time vault and dressing up like Saturday morning super heroes Isis and Shazam?).

...Chili, chicken stew, and the promise of fried turkey coming in a mere month. All assortment of hot goodness bubbling forth from the oven makes me very, very happy.

...Football, blessed football. Really now, is there any reason for me to even go into any more detail on this topic? I think you guys know how I feel.

...Driving out to the Pumpkin Patch. Sydney told me the other day that we needed to go "to that place where you can pet the animals and ride on that big truck and get a pumpkin." You, Sydney, are absolutely correct.

...New television shows. We're a "go, go, go" sort of family, so we don't have a whole lot of time for watching tv. Still, with the invention and appearance in our house of the spectacular DVR, we're able to watch a little more than we used to. On my "Recorded" list right now are new episodes of "Heroes," "The Closer," "Fringe," "Chuck," "House," "How I Met Your Mother," and "Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations." My tv tastes are usually pretty eclectic ("Grey's Anatomy," while alluring for ten episodes, does nothing for me now. I know, shoot me for being un-American and un-feminine.), so it's always nice to find a new show I like.

...Cooler days often means I have more time for creative endeavors. I seem to read a lot more in the Fall;there is nothing like hunkering down to do some scrapbook pages on a cool evening; and writing brings me more joy during this time of year.

...There is something about the colors of Fall that just does it for me. Gold, deep orange, burgundy, russet, sage green. Those are just colors you can live in.

...Smores. Plain and simple. (Made with marshmallows roasted over a real fire, to where they're a little bit charred, make them all the better.)

...Finally getting to turn off the air conditioner, covering up with a big ole blanket, maybe even lighting up the fireplace.

So Fall ... I'm so glad you've finally shown your face down South. I know that you only like to linger in the morning and later in the afternoons--and still like to tease us during the day--but you're welcome any time.

Keep on coming!

(I realized, after publishing this, that my last three posts have pretty much been lists of things I like. Kinda boring, huh? I promise I'll be back with something more "meaty" soon. Well, I sorta promise. What if I say that I'll do my best? And in the meantime... I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday!)