So this is "fall"

I'm fully expecting to defrost the turkey and start peeling the potatoes in just a couple of days.  And then I keep reminding myself that it is NOT, I repeat NOT, November.  It is in fact just September.

Sure, I'm always anxious for the holidays to begin.  But really, I'm of the belief that Thanksgiving is just around the corner because I'm not really used to it being this cold already. 

Today was actually a beautiful fall day (or what I've always seen in the movies as "fall").  The wind was blowing but the sun was bright and it was comfortable enough to enjoy sitting in the park, complete with pants and a sweater.  The leaves have been falling from the trees for weeks now (but maybe they always do this?).  The dampness and cold of recent nights have made me feel like I was out enjoying a brisk Christmas evening in Phoenix.

The end of "summer"...

And this is why I'm so conned.  Living in Phoenix for so long, most of my experiences with "seasons" have actually been through pictures, other people, and short vacations.  I've been fortunate enough to see the leaves change in the New England, and even got excited for the same thing in Los Angeles (yes, LA still has more autumn color than central Arizona).  I lived through one season change while studying abroad in New Zealand, but I hardly remember that now.  And my years in Spain, although colder (and in Cordoba, wetter) than in AZ or LA, I'm all too aware (but not at all prepared) that Berlin is much, much, colder than anywhere I've lived before.

So, for now, I'll put away the poultry seasoning and oven bags, pack away my shorts, and bring out my heavier coats and scarves.  I'm in it for the long haul.