The signs of fall

We're having a warm weekend in Palo Alto:  up to 85 degrees today, and high 70's over the next two days.  Eighty-five!  My kids are still in shorts and tank tops, and I have laundry drying on the clothesline.  Lord, I love California.   

I will admit, however, there is something picturesque and romantic about the changing seasons. I do miss walking through the crunchy, colorful leaves in Boston and knowing fall has arrived.  My boys keep asking me, "Mama, is it fall?  What season are we in?".   

Fear not, boys.  We may not have the beautiful fall foliage of New England, but there are other, unmistakeable signs that fall has arrived.  Here's what I look for:

10) I feel like I'm approaching menopause; I'm freezing in the morning and roasting by mid-afternoon.

9) It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and Happy Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown suddenly have a 3 week waiting list at the library.

8) Marital arguments on saving energy shift focus from excessive use of airconditioning to excessive use of heating.

7) My van is completely, constantly covered with fallen leaves and bits of golden dust from the neighbor's pine tree.

6) Cans of pumpkin, bags of marshmallows and boxes of stuffing suddenly find their way to high-traffic corner displays of supermarket aisles.

5) Even though they're available year round, I find myself buying apples and pears and butternut squash by the pound.

4) Feathers begin to feature prominently in the artwork my kids bring home; said artwork vaguely resembles turkeys, Indians, Pilgrims or some combination thereof.

3) The kids shift from talking about how much Halloween candy they're going to eat, to how many Christmas presents they're going to get.

2) I start getting flyers for canned food drives or warm coat drives or toy drives.

And the number one sign that tells me fall is definitely here....

1) Christmas carols blare from loudspeakers around shopping malls and Christmas catalogs arrive in the mail.

Happy Fall, everyone!