Dear September

Dear September,

When I was a kid, I loved September!  September meant going back to school with new school supplies, notebooks, pencils, pens, cigar boxes for our school supplies, but most of all, a box of new crayons!

I can still smell the wax when I opened that box.  We could only bring a box of 24 crayons to school, so I looked forward to October, my birthday month, when I would probably get a new box of 64 crayons!  Isn't it odd, though, to think of you and think of the smell of wax when I opened my box of brand new crayons?

I also remember being hot in the early part of September.  It was then that I would smell the green chile  peppers roasting as everyone stocked up on the green and roasted the peppers to put away for winter.  The smell was heavenly!  The taste of those green peppers mixed with our food--beyond amazing!  I loved September for that reason!

Then, September, you began to cool off a bit.  Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as windows were left open and the "swamp coolers" turned off.  You were really lucky if you had a swamp cooler!  Because of the dry air, your air conditioner would put water into the air of your home and cool it off.
You didn't run your swamp cooler a lot because of the expensive electricity, but there were times when you were cool.  You could sit and read inside and still be cool.

In the meantime, leaves were falling off the trees and drying.  I remember jumping up and down in the leaves just to hear them crunch.  Coming home from school, we'd all march in the leaves and come home with miniscule pieces of dried leaves clinging to our socks and filling our shoes.

September, you were a fun month when I was kid.  Even now, I am beginning to see leaves turning yellow.  I see gardens that are mature.  I see fresh produce from family gardens.  Sometimes, I'm even given a bit of fruit from a tree or vegetables from a garden.  Now, we bypass the heat and humidity.  We put on our light weight jackets when we go out.  We begin to harvest what we have sown this summer.  Yes, September, I miss summer, but I do welcome you with fond memories and expectations of the cold winter days ahead.   I'll be looking for a new winter coat this year.  September is a good month to buy a new coat.  There are a lot of sales right now.  September, you're finally here, and now, I'm off to enjoy you. 

PS:: Don't tell anyone, but I still jump in piles of leaves when I can.  I also buy a new box of 64 crayons in September.  Shhhhhhhhhhh!  That's our secret, September.  Shhhhhhhhh!