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Every Little Thing by April Jeppson

This time of year is my absolute favorite and it has nothing to do with pumpkin spice anything. In fact, I could live my whole life without smelling or tasting anything pumpkin spice infused. I do however enjoy cinnamon, apples, vanilla… Growing up my mom use to simmer cinnamon sticks and dehydrated orange peels on the stove. We’d clean the house with the windows open, the cool breeze softly blowing the curtains and swirling the scent of cinnamon through the house. Takes me right back.

I love this time of year because at night, the temperatures drop and I need to pack a hoodie. It’s my favorite time to have a bonfire and snuggle up under a blanket. Sitting by a fire is so much more satisfying in the fall when the air is cooler.

In the morning, there’s a crispness outside that wakes me up better than any amount of caffeine. As the day progresses, I hang my cardigan on the back of my chair. Walking to my car or even around the block on my lunch hour feels amazing. The sun is shining but the humidity that we know and love here in Minnesota is gone. The days are perfect.

We’ve been blessed with an entire week of these perfect days. As I drive through town I see people in their boats, milking every last ounce out of summer. I see so many walking and jogging around the lake and taking in the beautiful scenery. We live in such an awesome little town, and it makes me happy to see my neighbors enjoying it.

One of the other reasons I love this time of year so much is that it’s my birthday season. My friends and I lovingly refer to it as Aprilpalooza. It’s basically an excuse for me to hang out with different friends throughout the week. We get our nails done, go out for lunch or even go for a walk. Years ago, I started this tradition because I was a stay at home mom on a budget. I desperately wanted to see my friends and get out of the house. I wanted to get sushi, or a tasty burger from that cool new place I was reading about on Facebook. I couldn’t justify or even budget taking myself or my family to those places. However, I could tell my friends that all I wanted for my birthday was a lunch date with them. And that’s how Aprilpalooza was born.

I still do Aprilpalooza, but now that I have a job and can afford to buy my own lunch, it’s not as necessary for my friends to come out of the woodwork and spoil me this time of year. However, this cool breeze does have me longing to catch up with old friends. I might send off some text messages today and see if maybe I can arrange some lunches. We can even split the tab.

Albert Lean April Jeppson is a wife, mom, coach and encourager of dreams. Her column appears every Saturday.