It's Almost October...

...and I'm not ready for fall. I realize it's a little late to say this because fall is already here according to the calendar and the chill in the air and the leaves in the bay. It's getting close to time to pull the boat out of the water, which means I may have already had my last ride for the year. And not long after that, it's only a couple more weeks before we close up the cottage and say goodbye to our lake pals for another season. Normally, fall is my favorite time of the year, but as I've gotten older, I'm more taken with summer. Summer means lots of fresh veggies and fruit and boat rides and swimming in the lake and spending long summer evenings on the deck with a bottle of wine. It's cookouts and driving trips and flowers in the garden and long walks along the bay road.

Fall is just not cutting it anymore. For one thing, everything is pumpkin flavored--coffee, tea, candy, cookies, pancakes--I saw pumpkin-flavored English muffins in the grocery store the other day. Seriously! And it gets worse--pumpkin Oreos (I am not kidding) and pumpkin spice candy corn. This has to stop, don't you think? I don't care what Liz says, not everything tastes good if you add pumpkin.

But, you know, there are still things about fall that entice me--I do like the crisp fall air and apples and baking because fall makes me want to bake and I love to bake. We can start using the fireplace at home and often, the air is filled with the scent of burning leaves, which is such a homey smell. That part's nice. And there are bike rides in the park and going to the wineries down south and bonfires at the lake...

Best of all,  IRWA Retreat happens in Autumn--a weekend devoted entirely to writing and my writing buddies. We spend two whole days talking about story and craft, brainstorming characters and plots, and we write. Man, do we write! The fellowship is amazing--a grand opportunity to get to know my chapter mates better. If you've never done a writing retreat, I'm telling you, do it. If you can't find one, plan one and invite a few authors you know to join you at a state park inn or even a hotel near your town. The week Liz and I spent in Michigan on writing retreat was inspirational and a ton of fun! And every fall, the motivation my fellow authors give me at IRWA Retreat is unparalleled; I always come away renewed as a writer.

So yeah, maybe fall is still a good season, too... but the whole pumpkin thing? Sorry, Lizzie, I am so over it!