Fall stimulates rise in enthusiasm

A recent statistics indicated 65 percent of people in the U.S. are happy to say goodbye to summer and hello to fall.

When the summer season started and temperatures were nearing and exceeding the 100-degree mark, I knew I would be spending most of my time indoors.

The opposite is true for husband Randy. He loves summer. It?s a time for him to putter in the yard and work on his many outside hobbies.

As soon as he gets home from work, he changes clothes and out the door he goes until it?s dark, forcing him to retreat inside until the next day.

Autumn has always been my favorite season. I think the reason is because I equate very happy times with September, October and November.

By the calendar, fall doesn?t actually begin until Sept. 21, but in my mind, Labor Day marks its arrival.

Only in the fall can people enjoy watching a high school, college or professional football game, bundling up in a warm blanket and sitting on bleachers.

It?s also a colorful time of the year with leaves changing from greens to reds, browns, purples, oranges and yellows and watching children playing in the freshly raked leaf piles.

Even though summer is known for taking family vacations and rewarding children with some deserved time away from school, fall can also be exciting for them.

When I was in junior high and high school, I couldn?t wait to see who would be in my classes. After summer break, I was ready for school to find out what others friends had been doing.

Fall holidays are abundant, starting with Labor Day and then Grandparents Day the following Sunday.

Speaking of grandparents, God has been kind by blessing our only daughter, Tracy, and husband Stephan with their first child. She is 12 weeks pregnant and we are all so excited.

We wish she lived closer to us, but we are planning a trip to visit them in Berlin, Germany, next August.

Patriot Day is Sept. 11. It was designated in memory of the almost 3,000 people who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Please take time to remember these Americans.

Columbus Day will be observed Oct. 8 this year with many banks, schools and state and federal offices closing.

In less than two months, Halloween will be here and many children will be trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, having a bonfire and reading scary stories. It?s also a great time for ghost tours and visiting ?haunted houses,? for those interested in the supernatural.

Election Day is Nov. 6 and the race is on between President Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney. We also have a contested race between Marion County Commissioner Dan Holub and independent candidate Gary Lewis.

For those who like their extra hour of sleep, Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, Nov. 4.

Veterans Day on Nov. 11 marks the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice ending World War I. In addition to Veterans Day, Remembrance Day, which is also known as Poppy Day, commemorates the sacrifices of U.S. military men and women and civilians during war time.

One of the last major holidays before fall turns to winter is Thanksgiving. This year it lands on Nov. 22. It, too, is one of my favorite holidays because each year we travel to Illinois to see my brothers and other family members.

Let?s also not forget to wish everyone a ?Happy Equinox? at 9:49 a.m. (CDT) Sept. 22.

Even with all this information about why autumn is such a great season, probably not everyone is convinced?and that?s OK. In actuality, any day of any season is a good one when we can say we are healthy and happy.

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