Autumn is coming
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| Sun, 08-28-2005 - 12:16pm |
Back to school signs and all the fashion magazines are reminding me that autumn is coming....Here are some general questions for your ponderance.........
1. When does summer actually end for you?..... Labor Day? Sept. 21? As soon as kids go back to school?
2. What are your most vivid memories of autumn beginning? ... Going to school? Buying new clothes? Leaf peeping travel? Shorter days?
3. Does your autumn financial plan get affected by summertime's unpaid expenses like a vacation or summer things for the kids? Do you "do penance" for the summer expenses in the autumn?
4. Do you have any plans for the autumn that you have been saving for? Are there autumn expenses coming that you cannot save for/need to charge?
5. How is your health in the autumn compared to the summer?
6. Are you going back to school for anything this autumn?
Food for thought,
Your chef, Littlesbigs

You are so right, the season is definately changing, my allergies are kicking.
But really Autumn is one of my least favorite seasons. I hate the drab colors, and how it starts to get dark earlier, and that eery feeling when its dusk right before it gets to be pitch black night.
And I hate wearing the additional clothing. I prefer shorts, tank tops & flip flops.
I am now just counting down the months till Spring. Pretty Flowers. Summer nights. This is sad I am already ready for next summer and this one is not even over yet.
Shannon
1. When does summer actually end for you?..... Labor Day? Sept. 21? As soon as kids go back to school?
*My birthday is September 5, so I always see labor day weekend as the last little bit of summer.
2. What are your most vivid memories of autumn beginning? ... Going to school? Buying new clothes? Leaf peeping travel? Shorter days?
*We have trees everywhere here, so the leaves turn and fall, and that's my best memory. When I was little, my parents would rake all the leaves from their lawn into a huge pile, and I would sit in the middle of them in my jacket.
3. Does your autumn financial plan get affected by summertime's unpaid expenses like a vacation or summer things for the kids? Do you "do penance" for the summer expenses in the autumn?
*We don't really spend extra in the summer, so it's more of planning for lots of fall birthdays, and then Christmas gifts.
4. Do you have any plans for the autumn that you have been saving for? Are there autumn expenses coming that you cannot save for/need to charge?
*We're going on two trips across the state in the next 2 months. . . and that is going to cost quite a bit with gas being so high. Also, we have so many fall birthdays coming up, and I usually buy gifts all year or make them, but with having a new (and somewhat sickly) baby, that didn't happen this year. Looks like most people will get cute little homemade gifts that my 7-month-old and I have made.
5. How is your health in the autumn compared to the summer?
*I always lose my voice in either October or November for about a week, but I don't go visit the doctor. It has something to do with the change in moisture in the air. Otherwise, I'm just hoping our baby won't get ear infections or bad colds this fall or winter.
6. Are you going back to school for anything this autumn?
*I wish! I love being a stay-at-home mom, though. I'm glad I'm home, and I do work part time caring for my brother, but it would be nice to finish my undergrad studies.
Becky
CL of 4th, 5th & 6th grade Scoliosis
Summer ends for me at first frost. :) I garden, so first frost is a big deal--it's when the tomato plants die back for the winter, and when nearly everything stops producing. Fortunately, around here, that doesn't happen until late October, early November.
Autumn memories, I guess, would be going back to school each year. I loved school, so it was always an exciting time for me. It was also a stressful time, because we moved approximately every three years, and usually in summer, so about a third of the time, I was starting at a new school, and looking forward to making new friends, but also nervous about what classes would be like, what the other kids would be like, etc. Geez, now the memories are pouring out--how innocent I was each Fall until my 8th grade year, the worst year of my life, when the kids were so cruel and horrible, and I was so out of place, and then every move after that (after tenth and then again after eleventh grades) how anxious I was about the move and scared that it would be horrible again. Now I'm remembering how much I hated moving. Ugh.
Our autumn financial plan doesn't change much. This year, there are a few extra expenses because of our cat and overspending (by a bit) in Colorado, but mostly it stays the same. In fact, our energy costs go down significantly in autumn, so I start setting aside money each month for winter energy costs. I do the same in spring for summer. I do get a bug for mountain travel in autumn--I want to see leaves, and experience that sharpness in the air that only happens in Fall. And drink apple cider. And I look forward with anticipation each year to the first crop of apples to arrive at the farmer's market (we buy our produce at the farmer's market, and it carries only seasonal produce, so we go all summer without apples--making the apples taste so much sweeter and more wonderful when they arrive).
No autumn expenses coming. I think we're all set. In fact, autumn is an inexpensive time for us, and I look forward to regrouping a bit. One thing that's sad, though, is that yard sales start to wind down. In Summer, I can get up on Saturday morning and drive out of our neighborhood and hit three yard sales before I've gone half a mile. In Fall, I start having to look in the paper in the morning to find the areas with a high density of yard sales. By winter, there may be only five or six on any given Saturday within a reasonable distance of our house. There may even be weeks when there are NO yard sales. GASP!! LOL
My health doesn't change. We're a very robust family, thank goodness. We might get an occasional sniffly bout, but our trips to the doctor are so few and far between I'm not sure I even remember how to get to the doctor's office.
No school for me. My four year old is old enough for kindergarten, but we're homeschooling, and planning to take it easy. He teaches himself everything he needs to know. We'll probably take some field trips and spend more time with books, and maybe start teaching him to use the internet to find things out. We'll also spend time in the library every couple days. But we do those things anyway, so nothing really new there.
I do have a Summer regret--I had wanted our four year old to learn to swim this summer, but the pools are all closing next weekend, and we never got around to it. He did get more adventurous with the water, and can get around a pool with nothing but a noodle to support him, but I want him to know how to swim for real. We wanted it to happen this year, so that next year we could teach him to paddle a kayak, and by the following summer we could start taking family kayaking outings. Dh and I used to kayak before kids, but it's not really a little-kid-friendly sport, and we sold the kayaks for cash back when we were desperate.
Lesson learned on the kayaks (to digress majorly here)--we bought them, not including gear, for about $1300 EACH. We sold them, gear and all, for about $650 each. Note to self: buy kayaks used next time. LOL
Thanks for the question, littlesbigs.
Blessings,
Heather
1. When does summer actually end for you?..... Labor Day? Sept. 21? As soon as kids go back to school?
My summer ended in June. LOL. No, seriously, I spent most of the summer in bed.
2. What are your most vivid memories of autumn beginning? ... Going to school? Buying new clothes? Leaf peeping travel? Shorter days?
I love autumn. i love the smell of leaves. I used to rake the leaves in a huge pile and then throw my ducks right in the middle of the pile : ) My Dad, brother, and I all have october birthdays. My Mom used to bake me apple pie for my birthday (when I was young, i did not like cake). We would pick apples off of the apple tree in the front yard. I love it when the air is just a little crisp and cool.
3. Does your autumn financial plan get affected by summertime's unpaid expenses like a vacation or summer things for the kids? Do you "do penance" for the summer expenses in the autumn?
Autumn is one of our cheaper times of the year, but usually, our finances go haywire anyway. This year is actually shaping up ok. I guess if you count my medical bills, my autumn financial plan is being affected...
4. Do you have any plans for the autumn that you have been saving for? Are there autumn expenses coming that you cannot save for/need to charge?
No special plans, now that our conference was cancelled, but, we do need to save to get the exhaust system on dh's car fixed.
5. How is your health in the autumn compared to the summer?
I think my health is actuall best in the fall. I get outside more...I am a sweatshirt kind of girl. This summer, I either suffered from allergies or a long, drawn out cold. not sure.
6. Are you going back to school for anything this autumn?
Nope, not anymore.
Autumn ist coming - most definitely!
1. When does summer actually end for you?..... Labor Day? Sept. 21? As soon as kids go back to school?
I don't have kids (yet, we hope and pray...), but the beginning of fall is marked with a mixture of 'back to school' and the days getting shorter. It is the certain crispness of air early in the morning, and a certain quality of light - blue skies, cool air, and green trees.
2. What are your most vivid memories of autumn beginning? ... Going to school? Buying new clothes? Leaf peeping travel? Shorter days?
Back to school never meant new clothes, so that definitely is not a memory I can share :-)
There were a few years when I spent each and every summer camping in southern Sweden, out in the woodlands. I was a youth-camp manager there. And the beginning of fall was when all of the kids had finally packed up their stuff, embarked o the busses carrying them home, and there was only a few staff and me left, and the quietness of the week after. Sleeping outside in my sleeping, and waking up to find the first frost havong thrown glittering twinkling little stars on th eoutside of my sleeping bag - that is the beginning of autumn as I have learned to love it. Consider me a helpless romantic - I guess in this case that's just what I am.
3. Does your autumn financial plan get affected by summertime's unpaid expenses like a vacation or summer things for the kids? Do you "do penance" for the summer expenses in the autumn?
Nope. No extra expenses, nothing to atone for. Fallis the time when our financial health is best.
4. Do you have any plans for the autumn that you have been saving for? Are there autumn expenses coming that you cannot save for/need to charge?
A clear no on that, too. I will not be getting leave from work for even one day (I work as a specialist at state level parliament, and as long as the parliament is in session, no leave for me...) My new coat is already bought and paid, and I will take my birthday money for a pair of new shoes. That's it. DH's wardrobe is complete, and we got him a new warm jacket last year.
5. How is your health in the autumn compared to the summer?
I hope just as good. I tend to pick up each and every bug that goes around, but hope to be spared this year. Like I do hope every fall and winter...
6. Are you going back to school for anything this autumn?
Not me, but dh is in his second year for a BA degree now. I need to finish my PhD thesis, but that's not 'back to school' for me.
Thanks for your questions.
Jordis
ivy_jordis
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great questions!! I loooove fall!
1. When does summer actually end for you?..... Labor Day? Sept. 21? As soon as kids go back to school? school ends for me when our town has it's septemberfest. Its always the first weekend after labor day and as a child I remember that as the signal that summer is over.
2. What are your most vivid memories of autumn beginning? ... Going to school? Buying new clothes? Leaf peeping travel? Shorter days?I loved going back to school. The first day of school was always so exciting. It's one of the reasons i am thinking of going back to school and getting my teaching certificate!
3. Does your autumn financial plan get affected by summertime's unpaid expenses like a vacation or summer things for the kids? Do you "do penance" for the summer expenses in the autumn? Well, this fall will be like no other for us, because I quit my job! I used to work full time from home, but I gave it up because of stress and the fact that I want to really spend time with my three year old. We also bought our first home in July and our first mortgage and tax payment are due sept 1st and 30th.
4. Do you have any plans for the autumn that you have been saving for? Are there autumn expenses coming that you cannot save for/need to charge? no, not really. We were thinking of a trip to lancaster in october, but it's not mandatory, only if we have extra money. we plan on doing our christmas shopping then.
5. How is your health in the autumn compared to the summer?
well, that's a big one for me. I have been sufferering with major anxiety. I feel better since quiting, so hopefully I will continue to improve.
6. Are you going back to school for anything this autumn?
oh, i wish! I think it will be at least another year before that happens! but my hubby is currently enrolled!(thank goodness he gets reimbursed at work!)
kel
1. When does summer actually end for you?..... Labor Day? Sept. 21? As soon as kids go back to school? **NEVER! It's all in how you look at it all, LOL. I worked with a guy once who explained like this: You have summer, right? Then it's late summer, with a smattering of colder weather. Then you have Winter Solstice, which is the longest night of the year, which means from then on out, it's summer again, because as we all know, summer=longer days than nights. Great logic! Summer ends when I can't wear shorts outside anymore without extreme risk of blue legs, which happens in mid-October.
2. What are your most vivid memories of autumn beginning? ... Going to school? Buying new clothes? Leaf peeping travel? Shorter days? **The smell of autumn. That tang in the air, the smell of wood burning in fireplaces, and the crispness of it all.
3. Does your autumn financial plan get affected by summertime's unpaid expenses like a vacation or summer things for the kids? Do you "do penance" for the summer expenses in the autumn? **Nope. No penance here. Mostly, it's all about getting the back to school stuff altogether, and trying to keep it from overwhelming the budget!
4. Do you have any plans for the autumn that you have been saving for? Are there autumn expenses coming that you cannot save for/need to charge? **Yes and not really. Yes, we have to pay tuition for DD, and some for me. We've been saving for her, and it will come out of the snowball payments for me. We're on the budget plan for natural gas/electric, so it's the same all year.
5. How is your health in the autumn compared to the summer? **allergies act up a little more, but I'm on anti-histamine all the time, so that helps. Mostly, I'm pretty darn healthy-working at the library helps with that. We come in contact with all sorts of stuff, and don't tend to get sick alot.
6. Are you going back to school for anything this autumn? **Yup. New school, longer commute. I'm now working toward my bachelor's in History. This term, I'm taking Calculus I; an Intro to Historiography class; Faith (1 of 2 required theology courses); and something called 'The Reflective Woman,' which is a required class that everyone in her first term there must take. I have exactly ONE WEEK of freedom left. One.
Lisa