Each year, I and millions of others wait anxiously for the summer heat to break and for cooler weather to sweep in and remind us that we don't really live in a desert. Pumpkins and mums start dotting porches around the nation. Some of us even decorate with corn stalks, gourds, corn, and whatever else reminds us of autumn.

I adore this time of year. I love the crisp air, the cool breezes, the scents, the colors. Everything seems more vibrant. Which is ironic, considering everything is going dormant. People however, are only getting ready to go dormant. Before they snuggle away for the winter, there is lots to be done.

Fall festivals for instance. An age old tradition still clinging to that theory that we harvest things. If you actually have a garden, you probably do harvest things. And if you do, you know what a joy it is to produce and harvest. To me, that makes this time of year extra sweet.

I love how people gather together and have a few last heraas before winter grips them. I love the attire of warm sweaters and boots. The warmth of a good cup of hot chocolate or cider. The feelings of "togetherness" that we seem to miss out on the rest of the year.

I look forward to the holidays and wonder why it is that we can be so warm and friendly and giving and thankful only a few days out of the year. After the holidays it seems like business as usual. Cold, bleak, barren. And the warmth and friendliness that started with a few pumpkins and parties is long forgotten. And we're back to our world of the bottom line, never ending carpools and always too much on the to do list with not enough hours in the day.

Thoughts?