Florida Fall Memories

I don't know what it is about this time of year that has my spirits so incredibly high.

The weather just turned to colder (high of 65 today with a low of 44 tonight). Normally, I can't stand the cold. But the last two days I've been dying to be outside at all hours.

I've been trying to think of WHY I have this feeling of contentedness with this weather and I think I'm realizing what it is.

From barbeques with Hot Dogs in the back yard, to soccer matches in the field across the street... There were Football games and madrigal dinner rehearsals in high school.

I remember outings to the park with the biggest wooden play ground in Ocala. I remember my birthday parties and getting ready for Christmas. Its the time of year of camping and canoeing, being harrassed by my cousin, sitting down to delicious Thanksgiving Dinner at my Uncle's, and flee markets for little kid affordable christmas shopping :)

I remember walks to the Tobacco Barns, hikes through the woods searching for wild boars (I do not recommend doing this in an area that actually has a risk of finding one...). I remember tree climbing and just curling up with a book and a blanket on my grannie's front porch.

And...this is actually Christmas Weather for Florida...so I'm reminded of Christmas presents, learning to juggle, playing with bubbles, cousins jumping in the pool (yeay for growing up in chicago and switzerland...). Baking cookies and decorating them, Advent dinners, hand bell rehearsals, nursing home rounds, and christmas pageants.

I remember acting out nursery rhymes for parents, aunts, and uncles with cousins and siblings. I remember cold toes, smores, tree houses, and bon fires. Jumping in leaves, pancake breakfasts in the motor home, cranky grandparents, and the coolest cookies you ever did see.

I really hope that I can capture for my own children the spirit of this time of year the way my family did for me. So well done, that I walk out the door and try to think - what is it that I should be doing right now?

I vote for smores :)