Is it over, where did it go??

Summer....came and went...was I napping? Is someone playing a joke on me?

Today is the first day of school where we live and our 3 grandkidlets called last night to yak for a couple of minutes, this is a fun yearly tradition, touching base the night before school starts. We like to hear and share their excitement. These 3 live here so we will hear all about their first day by the end of the week. We'll hear all about what teacher they have, which friends are in their classes, how football practice went etc. etc.

Our youngest granddaughter, who lives in Northern Washington, started preschool today. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN??? She called us after she got home to tell us that she made "candy for mommy". Not sure what the meant but she was thrilled, which thrilled us to no end!!! I guess she was very willing to be left at school, this was the very first time for her to be left without daddy, mommy or brother. Brother did NOT think it was ok to leave sissy, something was very wrong with that picture to him, just plain wrong. When it was time to pick sissy up he was more than ready to get his life pal. Mommy was told to be sure and put sissy's hair up each day...evidently this teacher has had more than one budding beautician or barber in her prior classes and our Maddie has the curliest hair down past her bottom...Mommy will gladly put sissy's hair up each day. Oh heaven help us if that hair gets cut...Heaven help us all!!!!

Fall is in the air, this morning was crisp and cool...I normally love Fall, but this year I am just not ready for summer to be over. Most of our summer was consumed by working on our home. I really have nothing else to show for a whole season. Our only trip out of town was to my nephews wedding, there were no trips to the swimming hole, no trips to the beach for a picnic...no spontaneous girls days....next year...watch out...we have a whole season to make up for and I don't plan to waste a second.

I am not ready for shortened days...I am not thrilled with leaving for work when the sun is not fully in the sky and returning home with just an hour or two of daylight. I am not ready for rain...oh we need rain, our ground is so very dry. Yes, it is true, me...Gma Pam is not ready for the rain that I usually love to walk in-without an umbrella- thank you very much!...but I am not ready for the rain just yet, it is just too soon.

I am not ready to turn on the heat...I know it will be a several wks before it gets cold enough to turn the heat on...but the thought of it just doesn't thrill me. I am not ready to wear socks...socks are icky...and I have banned them from our bed. I am not ready for flannel sheets...flannel sheets just don't hold a candle to fresh, crisp cotton sheets.

Long sleeves...not ready...

Long pants...not ready...

Jackets...not ready...

not ready not ready not ready

I love to watch the trees change color...all those beautiful rich jewel tones that the leaves put on...but, I am not ready to see it this year. I wanna continue to enjoy the beautiful flowers in our yard, can you smell the jasmine...oh this year it smells better than ever before...I wanna continue to enjoy the shade that our large Ash tree has graciously provided us with...I wanna continue to enjoy lunch and dinner on the deck, I wanna continue to have people over for BBQ dinners and enjoy a glass of wine while sitting on the deck as the sunsets with color that can only be imagined, not described. Soon it will be too cold to be outside, oh there will be unexpected days and evenings when we will be outside and enjoy the fresh air...bonus days, bonus evenings.

So, I am not ready and yet it is coming...so, I guess I have 2 choices...as my dear sweet momma has told me over and over again during my adult life...I can choose to be frustrated and sad about this or I can find the joy in it and smile and laugh...2 choices...each will give me a very different outcome...

Choices...choices...buck up and find the silver lining...or grab a quilt and pull it over my head and wait for spring. Choices...choices...and it really isn't that hard a choice after all.

I will choose to go on leaf walks with KatieBug and prepare a box of fallen leaves to send to Ryan in San Diego so that he will not be homesick for this season unique to his home. I will choose to take my camera out and take pictures of the trees after they have shed their summer clothes...and pictures of their shed clothes laying in piles around the yards. I will choose to anticipate trips to the jetty to watch the ocean as the storms hit, waves splashing in awesome splendor. I will choose to bundle up (socks, long pants, long sleeves...jackets, gloves and all) and watch Tristan and Kaitlyn playing soccer early on Saturday mornings and Rex playing football on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

I will choose to find that silver lining so that I will not be caught off guard when winter hits, when the ice has to be scraped from the windshield...when the cat has to be forced outside...when I give up my "no socks in the bed" rule and no learn to appreciate flannel sheets...when the fields flood...when the boss and I can't agree on a medium ground for the temp for the office...when sleep over comes me shortly after arriving home from the office...when I leave for the office when it is still dark and return home to the porch light shining to help me find my way...

Fall, you know it doesn't seem so bad... I think I will grab my camera and head outside for a photo shoot....I don't wanna miss one more second of summer...Fall is coming and I wanna be ready...