Dear Kid,

Today is brought to you by the letter “Fall.” (Extra points if you get the reference.)

I’m pretty sure fall has well and truly arrived. The air is cooler (if not quite crisp), the leaves are falling (we’re overlooking the part where they start falling in our backyard around July 7^th), and the newspaper can’t decide whether to devote more space to the election campaign or pumpkin recipes.

Must be fall.

I love fall.

I love the temperature. I love being able to sit outside without handwarmers and a parka and enjoy a hot cup of coffee without wishing for air conditioning.

I love wearing a light jacket to work in the morning (of course, then it’s warm enough in the evening that I don’t need it and I forget to bring it home so I end up with a ridiculous number of jackets on the back of my chair and freeze on the way in to the office—but that’s not the story I’m telling).

I love being able to wear fashion boots because it’s cool enough for boots but nice enough not to have to drag out the “purely functional” footwear.

Have you notice that some things seem to “wake up” in the fall? Not just the football fans who’ve been hibernating for the past few seasons. The Puppy seems to wake up this time of year. It’s fun to bound around outside in the fall. (It’s not nearly as much fun to go inside and we’ve had to have a few stern conversations about that—but that’s not the story I’m telling.)

I love the colors of fall. I love the colors of fall clothes with their muted palates that offer a warm hug. I love the vibrant reds and yellows and purples of the changing leaves. (In our yard, most of the colors go directly from dingy green to dead brown—but that’s not the story I’m telling.)

I love the tastes and smells of fall. The turning inward of the season. The pumpkin and spice and cinnamon that seem to breathe “it’s fall.” The slow cooking squashes and stews and breads that promise richness and fullness (and thousands of calories—but that’s not the story I’m telling).

I love fall.

Especially the edited version.

Love, Mom

P.S. Yes, there was a DearKidLoveMom yesterday, but somehow it didn’t email out the way it’s supposed to. Click here if you missed it.

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