I started back my fall teaching yesterday. I only had a few students because I wanted to get started but I am still recovering from surgery so I didn’t want to work too much. This whole week is fairly light for that reason. I start up my college students next week, and my public school job the week after that.

But, summer is lovely, as I’ve said. Not necessarily the weather, because it is sometimes too hot. But you always know you can walk out the door without a jacket! And that things are more relaxed, schedule-wise, and people travel more, and with the extreme exception of really bad flooding, you know you can just get in your car and drive to where you want to go without worrying about snow or ice.

In other words, “winter is coming”. And we are on the path. I finished up my last student at 8 pm last night and for the first time in months, it was dark when I finished. Also, they aren’t kidding about feeling like you got hit by a train trying to do too much after surgery. I was literally doing a job where I am basically just sitting in a chair and I was utterly exhausted and luckily had a 30 minute break to lie down because I was not doing great. It’s okay, I think it would always have been hard getting back to it, but wow, I was exhausted, and anticipate today being difficult as well. But I digress!

I was talking with Louie about it, how I’m sad that summer is over. And he started pointing out the virtues of fall: crisp, cooler air, less humidity, leaves turning, exciting activities, etc. And it hit me.

This is why people get so excited about the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Because at least we have that. We may not have summer anymore, and we may not {technically} be in fall, but we have to have something. So let’s stop taking that away from people, okay? Life is hard enough.

Because also, as Louie pointed out, after fall comes Thanksgiving and Winter Break! It may be cold, but there are delicious desserts, wonderful events, and lots of fun. It will be a good fall semester, I am going to make sure of it.