I am fall, going on winter...

The thermometer mercury flirts with readings in the 30s.  Scarves and cardigans find their way out of Sterilite boxes to counter the slight hint of chill in the air.  Joggers don't venture onto the streets until the morning sun has sufficiently thawed the troposphere.  The produce section at Costco is cordoned off with a wall of $5.99 pumpkins. The closeout aisles at Marc's begin filling with deceptively inexpensive Halloween decorations, while unscrupulously pricey coffee shops commence their annual brouhaha about pumpkin spice lattes.  

Costco pumpkins!

Autumnal equinox is officially here.  Before we know it, ostentatiously dressed kids will jaunting about with plastic pumpkins full of candy amid the wind swept heaps of stiff russet leaves on the sidewalks.  Soon after that, families will start dusting their golu dolls and discussing best design practices to set up step-platforms in anticipation of the Navaratri season.  The festivities will linger on well into early winter for it will soon be time for the kandils and oil diyas to adorn homes.  Kitchen bosses will start sharing दिवाळी फराळ recipes while other family members will start gaining pounds appropriately to insulate their bodies for the upcoming cold months.  LED lights will stay on the walls even after the Diwali sparklers die out as it will soon be time for Karthigai deepam, which will become an excellent excuse to amalgamate traditions by cooking a delicious Thanksgiving meal.  Vacation plans will begin to take shape just as the ground starts getting covered in snow.  The LED lights on the wall will continue to provide warmth amid temperatures in the teens.  A corner in the living room will get assigned as the Christmas tree spot.  The fragrance of warm cinnamon and pine will start filling the home.  Netflix and Prime Video accounts will run on overdrive as  families swaddle themselves in cozy fleece blankets on the couch.

The second part of the year is definitely my favorite!