Fall is here – cooler weather prevails and my poor AC units can take a break…finally!  Don’t get me wrong – I love Florida.    Hardly a day goes by when that huge solar giant doesn’t shine his face upon the flora, fauna, people and beaches of Florida.  They don’t call it the Sunshine State for nothing.  And the extended daylight hours of summer are the best!  Watching shooting stars, catching fireflies, jumping into a pool, early morning walks with friends, weekends at the beach with the kids – lots of daylight to enjoy.  Ah, if only…

I work full-time.  I mean, I work at a full-time job that actually pays me.  There’s this other job I have where the pay won’t get me into the Forbes Top 100 or 500….or 1000.  The one that keeps me hopping from sunrise to sunset and then some.  All the fancy gadgets in the world at my disposal but the dishes don’t load themselves, and still haven’t figured out how we go through so much laundry in a week.  And who builds a new home with dark, black granite in a kitchen where every single smudge and glass ring glares at you from every angle?  I’m not a neat freak (you should see my closet) but I like the kitchen to sparkle.  That’s where everyone congregates – family and friends.   We share our day, trash talk sports teams or discuss what color to paint the guest room.

With autumn, comes school, soccer, football, the World Series, art festivals and yard work (falling leaves and stuff).  Hardly the time to slow down but we should.  All of us.  Stop.  Take a breath of cool autumn air.  Look up at the clear night sky and catch a falling star.  Take a walk with someone special and hold hands.  Deep, deep breath!  After all, Christmas is right around the corner.