Summer Reading

I come from a family of readers.

I remember coming home from the last day of 3rd grade, the whole summer wide open in front of me, and my Mom telling me I could stay up reading as late as I wanted because there was no school to wake up for the next morning. That was one of the best rewards ever.

Even now, when I am home for holidays, the mornings are usually spent with the 4 of us sitting in my parent's living room reading. It's silent except for pages turning, coffee mugs being picked up or set down, and "good morning" when a new person comes downstairs to join the group.  It's a really nice way to start the day.

At the start of this summer I treated myself to a book splurge on Amazon (and picked up a few more through out the season.) Between my front porch, Mellon park, the bar at Franktuary when I'd finish a shift, and several planes, I worked my way through the stack. It was a really nice blend of fiction and stories. The authors made me think, and smile, and tear up, and care about their characters, or see things in a new perspective.

As much as I love love love my library, there is something special about buying a book. I have some more space now in my current apartment for books, and a well stocked home library is something I aspire towards. Even if books are old fashioned, and a complete horror to move. (I know,  I've lugged them all over the city of Pittsburgh from apartment to apartment at this point.) I may love technology, but there is something about curling up with a book, the weight in your hands, the smell of the paper and the ink that I am in no way anxious to give over to a screen.

This week was the fall equinox and in good timing, I finished the pile of books I had marked for the summer. It's a new season.

Part of a Well-Balanced Life

First of all, I'll begin with saying that I am fine.

Better than fine even, good, maybe great.

I'm emphasizing this because my Mom called me last week to make sure I was fine, as Moms are want to do, and even though I was fine, I was also in the midst of September sadness, and I'm sure she intuited that because she has a way of knowing everything, even from 400 miles away, which is a trait I hope I inherit when I become a parent, so that I can freak my kids out as much as she does me. (Anyway Mom, if you read this know that I'm good - love you!)

So, let's talk for a minute about September sadness. I'm not sure what it is - whether it's the change in daylight hours, the drop in temperature, the change in schedules that came with going back to school, but I get sad in September.  This has been happening since high school. It's only in the past couple of years that I've really been able to recognize the pattern (better late than never).  It doesn't last too long, just a couple of weeks in the middle of the month, and it's not in any way debilitating, just makes me more apt to think my way into downward-hate-spirals, and cry more often for no good reason.  I also know that I am not alone in this, and have been reading about other people coping with September, and its comforting to know that there is company in your craziness.

It's already lifting, and now that the equinox has happened I am ready to embrace fall with all the pumpkin spiced lattes and beer and baked goods and boots and capes and glorious long runs, and extra blankets on my bed. October is here next week.

I was having coffee with a friend last week, and mentioned this, and we started talking about feelings, and downward-hate-spirals, and the crazy thought processes that takes you from a well-adjusted logical person, to one who is convinced you've messed up your entire life in under 60 seconds.

"The thing I dislike about sadness," I said, "Is that I can't channel it into anything productive."

She smiled and said, "Unless you consider a well-balanced life, and allowing yourself time to process and be reflective productive.  Those aren't bad things. Careful, your high D is showing."

(If you are familiar with the DiSC personality profile, then you know that she was right. I am, it was.)

And so she made an excellent point.  And maybe it's time that I stop viewing September as the month when I get sad, and embrace it for the month that I get introspective and reflective, and process.  Because having that time is part of a well-balanced life.

All the Pumpkin Things!

A couple of years ago in college, my roommates and I started a tradition of a party that consisted of eating pumpkin flavored things in the fall. We called it Fall Fest.  I know, we're like copy-writing geniuses.

We held fall fest last weekend, and it was delicious.

What's cool about Fall Fest though, is that it's started to grow up with us.  We no longer take the bus to Giant Eagle to stock up on pre-made pumpkin flavored treats - this year we made our own pumpkin inspired dishes, with ingredients we bought from stores we drove to in our cars. (Or maybe in our roommates car as is my case...)

This year, the menu included bite sized pumpkin spiced chicken tacos, spicy pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread pudding, homemade pumpkin cookies, a cheese plate, a pumpkin cheesecake, various craft beers, and local cider from Arsenal Cider House, and the best chocolate stout sorbet Precisely has made with his new ice cream maker yet.

I know, right? Fall Fest got fancy!

The best part though, of course was the company.  My friends are simply delightful, and I love them.  We all scatter to spend time with our families over the upcoming Holidays, and it was really nice to carry on our own tradition and spend time together.

Spring Forward, Fall Back Down

It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.

- Joe Fox, You've Got Mail

It rained today, and when I left work this evening it was cool. Cool as in it made me realize that it's going to be fall soon, which, as much as y'all know I love my Pittsburgh Summers, I can't help but be excited for.

This marks the second fall in which I won't be going back to school. Even though my year follows a different schedule, there is still something about the fall. I think it might be my favorite season.

I love Pittsburgh summers, but they're fleeting and fun and not quite real life. My birthday is in the spring, which ads to the feeling of re-birth in the season, but springs in Pittsburgh tend to be rainy and cold. I also have the distracting and cliche habit of falling in love in the spring, or at least head first into a crush that won't last past labor day. Winters here are hard. But Fall, fall, is lovely.

So let's make this the best fall ever! Let's trade the strappy sandals for knee high boots. Let's put away the silk and linen, and break out the tweed and wool blends. If nothing else fall has the best fashion.

Let's stop with the frozen drinks and gin and tonics and enjoy rich red wines and spicy fall brews. Let's eat pumpkin flavored pastries, and drink hot chai tea.

Let's enjoy walking without being sticky and sweaty upon arrival. And enjoy the satisfying crunch of leaves underfoot.

Let's listen to Feist, and The National, and The Weakerthans and revel in the hurt-so-good, artificial depression and nostalgia that kind of music provides.

Let's take a weekend road-trip to New York, and drive out to see Falling Water in the changing colors, and ride our bikes for the last time. The best running happens in the fall.

Let's go on hayrides, and dress up for Halloween, and enjoy the weight we've lost over the summer before we gain it back over the holidays.

Let's buy new notebooks even if we're not going back to school. Let's get to work.

Bring it on Fall!