Thursday 13: 13 things I'm looking forward to

ack to school as an "event" has come and gone around here, and now summer feels like it was just a dream... sigh.

So, let's look forward. What's going on in the coming months (my FAVORITE months of the year, in case you didn't know)? Some of these items are actual events, some are just general fall things that I adore...

1. I have a few girlfriends from high school who are coming to town for a few days next week, and I haven't seen some of them in more than a decade, I'm pretty sure; could be closer to two decades with a couple of them. It will be good to see them over lunch or coffee. We're mostly caught up on Facebook, which has proved to be such an amazing reconnector.

2. Shorter days... I wish we could pause time, though, in a couple of weeks and not get any shorter on the daylight. The darkness is my least favorite part of fall/winter. I could handle it being light 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. year round. Can anyone work that out for me? I'd be ever so grateful.

3. Spending Labor Day with my parents and brother&fam on Mayne Island.

4. Hopefully going to go see Jen in Portland in a couple of weeks. She's had some family/friend stuff going on around her the past couple of weeks, but I hope it still works out.

5. Winding down the garden, harvesting basil and tomatoes and winter squash... all the good stuff is still going on for a few more minutes.

6. Seth's birthday. Woot-woot. 14!

7. My birthday. Woot-woot! 42!

8. Getting out the fall clothes and shoes...

9. Thanksgiving (favorite holiday EVER) AND 5th anniversary with husband. And a little getaway for us to celebrate. Can you believe it's already been 5 years? Me neither. Whoosh. Happy whoosh, but still...

10. Christmas with family. The plan is for everyone to come here, which totally works for me. And Seth is with us this year too. Major joy.

11. The colors of fall. We don't have color, per se, on a scale like the Northeast states, but we still have some yellows, a few reds and of course, a lot of shades of brown... and leaves fall, there's fewer mowings... all good.

12. Fall energy. I love the back-to-school mindset, even if I'm not the one going back... fresh starts, empty comp books ready to be filled up with thoughts and ideas. Some of my favorite things. And I've started running again; fall weather is perfect for hitting the pavement! Having energy for that is just terrific.

13. Fall eating/holiday baking. Is there a season when I DON'T enjoy eating? Probably not, but Thanksgiving dinner is one of my all-time favorites, and all the baking that takes place in the weeks before Christmas makes that time so special and fun... time to pull out the holiday recipes and get ready!

What's going on with your fall? Hope you have some fun things planned. Tell me about it!

For more Thursday 13s, go here. And have a marvelous Thursday!