Put down that pumpkin spice latte!

Most people view Labor Day as the end of summer, but that never worked for me.

In the olden days, buying school supplies marked the end of summer: the sharp smell of a sharpened pencil, the crackle of a fresh stack of wide-ruled looseleaf paper, the zing of a paper cut from making my own textbook covers from grocery bags. (You young folks might need to ask your grandparents to explain that reference.) All of that lessened the sting of saying goodbye to the long hours of unsupervised playtime.

Once my own children were no longer in school, a new tradition took hold. The Detroit Dream Cruise became my official notice that I needed to shelve the sundresses and pull out the cable-knit sweaters and booties.

During Dream Cruise day, people cruise up and down the main drag of Woodward Avenue to show off their classic cars. The pungent aroma of exhaust permeates the air from Nine Mile in Ferndale all the way up to Pontiac from this continuous, spontaneous parade of Model Ts, ganstermobiles, hot rods, and muscle cars. Fords, Chevys, and Chryslers dominate but there is a smattering of Studebakers, Packards, even the occasional Lamborghini. Avant-garde personalized vehicles like the Monkeemobile, the Batmobile, and the Mystery Machine make an appearance. I’ve seen one car where the owner had glued plastic figurines to every exterior inch of his car and proudly slow rolled down the street.

Jeff and I bring lawn chairs and take in the event with a hundred thousand other car lovers and people watchers as the tail fins, hood ornaments and rumble seats of the past strut by, highlighting the glory years of automotive design.

This massive display of automotive history, wealth and nostalgia is a perfect homage to the Motor City, as well as a signal to me that summer is winding down and fall is approaching.

But this year, I missed the Cruise (family events were more important.) and now my seasonal clock is off kilter. I have had no life event to mark the progression from late summer to early fall.

I need that nudge to move me away from summer.

I’m a summer girl. I love hot weather and leaving the house with no regard for the weather except to watch out for rain. Every day is the same, so clothing choices are simple: shorts, tee, sandals. Maybe a hat if the sun is blazingly strong. And off I go!

I cling to the hope that summer will continue forever. Then one day the heat fades and I missed the end of summer and now I have to pull out the jackets and jeans and I don’t know where I put them in the basement and everything needs to be washed because it’s been stored and I’m hanging out in an old hoodie the kids left hanging in the front closet and my track pants left over from my knee surgery because they are the only things I can find that are clean.

When fall arrives, I start to fret about what to wear. If it’s chilly in the morning, I need a sweater. But will I need it late in the day? Maybe. Maybe not. Should I wear long pants or shorts? I don’t want to shiver in the morning, but I don’t want to sweat in the afternoon. (I laughed years ago at a style of pants that zippered above the knee so you could switch between ankle and knee length pants. Some days I wish I had those.)

Socks or no socks?

Shoes or sandals?

Too many decisions early in the morning.

That’s why I need a push to greet the next season with open arms.

If I don’t have school shopping or the Dream Cruise to nudge me into fall, that leaves the weather as a barometer of change. While it has been cool in the morning, the daytime temps remain warm. And the forecast shows this will continue all month.

Lucky me! So, I intend to revel in this extension of summer, and I welcome all of you to join me. Since Mother Nature is granting us this reprieve from cool weather, we should rejoice in it.

So put down that pumpkin spice latte! Wait until October like normal people. Let the pumpkins ripen before you start slurping.

Don’t tell me about your plans for a fall color tour or show off your flannel shirts. Don’t ask me to taste your Oktoberfest brew. I don’t want to hear about it–at least not until the end of September. I’m still sipping my Mai Tais and soaking up the rays. I’m not making any pumpkin muffins until Halloween.

Now, if you want to start talking about Christmas, that’s a whole different story. I’m already checking out new decorations to update my house for that holiday. I just saw a website that is selling satin pajamas featuring the characters from “White Christmas.” Now that could make me embrace the change of seasons.