Sunshine, blue skies, please go away...

Every since moving to Los Angeles, I have been struck by how aggressively sunny it is here. All. Of. The. Time.

{Those little suns are starting to look positively hostile to me.}

I realize how ridiculous it is to complain about the near perfect weather, but bear with me for a minute. San Diego and Los Angeles have identical climates, but in San Diego, I always lived within a few miles of the ocean, and that, apparently, changes everything. The marine layer rarely extends far enough inland to have an impact in my new hood, and most mornings I wake up to a cloudless sky. I know, such a burden. It's just...sometimes, I wish it would rain. This is never more true than in October when I'm longing for autumn.

The vast majority of the time, I adore the mild, predictable weather of Southern California, but every October (ok, a few weeks in December too) I long for New England's dramatic and erratic weather. I miss the unmistakable chill in the air that signals the shift from backyard cookouts and lakeside fun to chili cook-offs and touch football. I miss the way that the fiery hillsides could take my breath away with their beauty, no matter how many times I had watched their yearly journey from the near fluorescent greens of early spring to the deep russet of late October.  I miss actually needing wool sweaters and boots. I miss living some place that looks like all of the beautiful spreads in the fall issues of my favorite magazines.

{fall inspiration}

Now that you have a sense of my (unbalanced?) state of mind, you will understand why waking to pouring rain and (potentially imagined) claps of thunder the other day thrilled me to my very core. I went about my errands cheerfully, giggling like an idiot when I stepped in a giant puddle and attempting to share conspiratorial smiles with the other soggy patrons of Pavillions.  The fall-like weather resulted in a few off-list purchases at the grocery store in the form of decorative baby pumpkins (so cute!) and a can of pumpkin puree in anticipation of afternoon baking (so yummy!). Once I got home, the pumpkin spice candle was lit, the fall playlist (what? you don't make seasonal playlists?) was fired up on the stereo, and made myself a cup of tea.

After the tea, the fall decorating began. I even attempted painting my favorite fall quote. Sadly, this was the best of roughly 15 attempts. I will probably give it another go at some point; that branch is out of control.

{Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.}

Just as I was settling the last pumpkin on the mantle and contemplating crafting some sort of autumnal leaf garland, the rain stopped, and the sun started working its way out again. I briefly considered pouting, but then I remembered that I can't begrudge the New Englanders their glorious autumn. Soon they will be buried in snow while I will still be burying my toes in the sand. So for now, I will just sweat a little in my tall boots and cableknits.