Changing Seasons

People say there aren't seasons in Phoenix... well, let me tell you, there are! We are now officially in fall... how do I know that? Because it cools down at night so you can sleep with the windows open... even when it's in the 90's during the day, which it has been the last few days! My kids have actually been getting up in the morning complaining about being cold! Crazy, huh?? Anyway, the change in seasons got me thinking about a few things.....

I reconnected with a friend from my hometown (Vacaville, CA) last summer at a reunion in Texas. She lives in Mesa now (has been here for much longer than me) and loves the weather. She told me something that forever changed the way I've looked at the summers here. Pretend that summer is like winter. In the winter (in the North) it's too cold to go outside unless you have some big adventure planned (like sledding, skiing, etc.) Here it's too hot to go outside in the summer unless you have some big adventure planned, (wakeboarding, swimming, etc.) It makes total sense! We hibernate in the summer when everyone else hibernates in the winter... hmmm... kinda like living in Australia, maybe?? I wish!

So, it only made sense today that I had the urge to "spring clean"... but it's fall, right? Ah, but it feels like spring to us, when everyone else would normally come out of their "hibernating" season... so I did clean for hours today and it felt good. Amazingly, I really had energy to do it and believe me there is still lots to be done. The more I cleaned the more dirt I noticed... I didn't even put a dent in what needed to be done, but it felt good to work hard today and really make some headway in the constant disaster we live in!

While I cleaned today, I listened to an audio book that I've been saving for a long time... it's kinda heavy reading... not the type of book you want to take on vacation or read by the pool. It's called "A Thousand Splendid Suns". It's written by an Afgan man about life in Afganistan over the last 30 years. I'm only halfway through, but so far am really enjoying it. It truly makes me appreciate the amazing freedoms we have here today in America. It's been fascinating to read about Afgan culture and life before, during and after the Taliban. I truly admire those people and what they have had to go through over the years. I, for one, take too much for granted my easy life here in the States.

This afternoon, I got a phone call out of the blue from a cousin, who is as close to me as a sister (since I've never had a real one....) and she totally lifted my spirits this afternoon with her call. We grew up together and spent more time together than I think most cousins get to... especially those 3 week long cross country road trips! She now lives in Ohio and I live here in Arizona, so we don't get to see too much of each other, but Heidi, seriously, you are a genius!!! I definately need a "time out"! (Inside joke....)