The Final Days of Summer

Dear Readers,

Are you as stunned as I that fall is so close you almost smell it when you take a breath? What happened to the year? Seems like only yesterday we were wishing each other a joyful new year and thinking and hoping that 2013 would be a good one. Autumn is my favorite season. I get excited thinking about the cooler temperatures, the crisp apples I will find in the stores, the many pies I will make with pumpkins and pecans and pears and those crisp apples. And soup. There are a few things I make really really well and soup is one of them. In fact I have an acorn squash in the kitchen right now that I'm anxious to make into the squash soup I feature on my website (the soup Rebecca made in Call of the Whisperwind). But it's still too warm to be making hot soup and cold soups aren't exactly what I am craving. But in due course the days will shorten, evening will come early and the temperatures will lend themselves to making soup, even here in weather-perfect San Diego. Although many people think we have balmy weather year-round, we do have seasons here, they simply are not as pronounced as other parts of the country. While it doesn't snow here we do get some rain and we keep our windows closed to ward off the chilly 60s temperatures.  The nights usually fall into the 50s and sometimes even the 40s. That's when I take out my warm clothing that I used to wear when we lived in New Mexico, where indeed they experience typical winters.

Though most people think of spring as a time of renewal I have always looked upon autumn as my time of renewal. Truth be told my birthday is in October, which lends to my personal sense of renewal. Some view a birthday as being another year older; I think of it as surviving and living one more year. I don't need New Year's or spring to feel that gratitude either for myself, my family or my friends. When the leaves change colors and drop off the limbs I feel a great sense of satisfaction that all is as it should be. When the days begin to wane, and the temperatures drop this fall, take a few moments to think about the year, what you have accomplished or enjoyed this past year. Then get out a big pot and make some soup. If you're not comfortable winging it by putting whatever you find into a big soup pot, check out the recipes on the website. The characters from Destiny and Whisperwind will give you plenty of ideas and multitude of recipes to keep your soup pot full.

Happy Reading,

Jeffree Wyn