the great debate

As much as I'd like to deny it, summer is coming to an end.

The days are notably shorter than they have been, the sun's beams don't feel quite as warm (they were even completely hidden today by a gloomy, yet welcome, gray cloud cover and a steady downpour), and I require a warm blanket to fend off the brisk chill of the morning and I often find myself in a sweatshirt by the end of my evenings.

The end-of-August driveway doodles I created one warm summer night as a desperate cling to my childhood have washed away by the rain that signifies the change of season (although I am a stickler for not calling it fall until the autumnal equinox on September 22). The late evenings I spent sitting on the swing in the backyard are gone, as the slowly-but-surely earlier sunsets seem to suck the warmth right out of the summer.

Gone are the afternoons spent taking walks with the kids that only lasted as long as otter pops and popsicles, to be replaced with afternoons spent outside in sweatshirts and sweaters. Flip flops are slowly being replaced by flats and tennis shoes, and tank tops are starting to become just a part of the outfit, rather than the focal point.

Fall is undeniably upon us, which is always a bittersweet time for me. I love summer. I love everything about it, and it is truly the most magical season. I get so conflicted around this time every year - when the hints of fall are coming all at once, leaving me hanging on to the last bits of summer that I can...while excitedly anticipating the arrival of fall.

Huh?

The problem is that I love fall too. It's not magical like summer is, but it has its own charm. While I love summer, fall is my absolute favorite season...yet I can't stand to see summer go.

So at this time every year, when the line between summer and fall is so easily tiptoed (especially here in Oregon where just because it's raining today doesn't mean that it won't be absolutely gorgeous tomorrow), I get sad and excited at the same time.

I feel like I'm cheating on poor summer, who has been so nice by letting me relax and bask in its warm sunshine and catch up with old friends and enjoy the outdoors - outdoors that had previously offered nothing but torrential downpour until the cows came home.

I feel like getting excited for fall takes away from the last moments I have with the precious, sunshiney season...I feel like the second it starts raining consistently in the fall I'll be cursing myself for not appreciating the summer while it was still here.

I am clearly torn. And clearly, my life is going pretty well if this is the biggest conflict in it (it isn't, but for now I'll pretend that it is).

I love summer. I love fall. I could write about this all night long. Instead, I will make two different lists (because that's what I do) in order to remind myself what I love about each season...because then you poor readers won't be stuck trying to understand my brain and why I can ramble about trivial things for countless paragraphs.

10 Things I Love About Summer (in no particular order):

1. Sunshine!

2. Warm nights.

3. Stargazing.

4. Otter pop.

5. Dresses.

6. Iced beverages that don't make me freeze (I drink iced drinks pretty much all year long).

7. Lazy days spent reading/snoozing/relaxing outside.

8. Driving with the windows down.

9. Movies Under the Stars.

10. Family get-togethers.

10 Things I Love About Fall (in no particular order):

1. Weather that's sunny and cold at the same time.

2. Football season (I hate football so I can't really explain this one...there's something in the atmosphere though. And I like the idea of it being football season...I can't explain it beyond that, so do with it what you will.)

3. First day of school!

4. Boots.

5. Pretty trees.

6. Homework (I like it for the first few weeks, anyway).

7. Thanksgiving.

8. Sweaters.

9. October (my favorite month ever).

10. Cozy days spent inside, wrapped up in a blanket.

Right now I am basking in the fact that I'm sitting on the brink of my two favorite seasons, which allowed me to make two separate lists...maybe this time doesn't have to be so bittersweet!

♥ abigail