September Afternoon

It looks like summer is really gone. Today is gray in turns and a little chilly, the leaves on the old oak tree in our yard are beginning to turn, and the AC hasn't come on once.

I love September. I love the shorter days. Soon, it will be time to drag out the crock pot and to start making soups and stews. I'll put the blanket back on the bed and socks will begin to show up in the laundry basket. The wind chimes will ring more frequently and I'll be putting on fleece tops to drink my coffee on the front porch.

Lauren (who turned 21 yesterday) is coming up this weekend. We'll be giving her a small, intimate party (for adults over 21) to celebrate this rite of passage. We can't afford to take her to Zanotti's, so we're turning our home into a wine bar, complete with hors d'oeuvres ("horse doovers", as Alan says), wine, candles, and soft Jazz. My birthday is on Thursday, but I want the party to be all about her. You only turn 21 once, after all! My next big rite of passage will be 60. Ugh... let's not even go there...

Until the the weekend arrives, I'm dusting, vacuuming, and rearranging chotchkies. Oh, yeah, and I'm working on my clients' sites as well. It's great to have work again!