It's Definitely Fall In My Neck of the Woods.

Although today that's questionable since… it’s snowing. No, I mean it’s REALLY snowing. Not like the occasional October spittle that we sometimes get but like the big flakey February stuff that STICKS majorly and makes driving trecherous. Really Weird.

And it’s only October 13th…

I’ve lived in Michigan for 16 years now and this it the first time I have ever seen this happen.

I was born… in California on a HOT October day. On October 13th to be exact. My mother tells me the thermometer measured 98 degrees the day I was born. And growing up?… I’m quite sure that all of my birthday parties were held outdoors. At least in my memory… sitting in my bedroom pretending to not know about the birthday preparations that were being carried on in the kitchen and looking out the window I remember seeing green. Lots and lots of green. I also remember swinging upside down on the monkey bars on the school playground one birthday and thinking… “Wow! I’m lucky 7 already!” And I remember not wearing a sweater. I don’t know why I remember that day so absolutely vividly! Perhaps it’s because I think it may have been my first Friday the 13th birthday and I was realizing that the day was going pretty well for me so far.

Anyway, right now… California and 1961 seems like a million miles away.

I used to love the fall. Really. LOVED IT! Even after I first moved to Michigan… back in the days when I use to live in that big house when people would come and do my yardwork FOR me… and when my biggest challenge of the day was to assure that the spider web facsimile or cornstalk/pumpkin assemblages on the front porch were perfectly displayed.

Tough times.

But then “after”… when I moved to this “new” house… with it’s massive expanse of property… I remember still thinking… Lucky me!!!… All THIS!... and all for the mere price of a home! I will love it and nurture it! I will take care of it daily… prune every bush weekly… keep each and every blade of grass mowed within an inch of it’s life… and I have succeeded in doing this for almost a fifth of a century! But those same blades of grass keep growing… and those same leaves keep falling year.. after year.. after year. No, really… trust me! I know each and every one of those grasses and leaves intimately and yes, they are the same ones. They keep coming back to haunt me and I’m sure they are laughing. Sometimes I feel like I’m living groundhogs day over and over again… or doing the dishes… or the laundry… except without hot water.

Bottom line? I have a huge yard. No really… I mean HUGE. I’m not kidding.

But somehow… I guess I just have to keep believing and remembering how much I am gifted year after year on my birthday a beautiful arrangement colored in yellows, oranges and reds. I guess. And this year I cannot wait to rip off the beautiful white gift-wrapping in a few days to be so utterly surprised by all that awaits… beneath… ugh.

I guess all I’m REALLY trying to say here is… Please, to those whom might ever be inclined to send me a gift... Please no Clay CD’s. Trust me, I have plenty!…and in fact you will probably be seeing one your own very self really, really soon... No jewelry. No Bath and Body Works products either.

Library Boy mouse pads are good though...

...as are really beautiful roses...

...singing voicemails… and of course money.

*sends hugs out to various family members*

Anyway, it's nearly midnight, and though it's still yucky outside, so far I don't believe there are any late-breaking bad-news stories to report on this Friday the 13th... except for perhaps the fact that I am now another year older.