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In the past week, fall has abruptly arrived in Jerusalem.  One day I was wearing a t-shirt and skirt, and the next, I was bundled up in all my winter gear.  I'm putting extra blankets on my bed, getting up early to turn the hot water on for the shower, and finding lots of soup and chili recipes.

The onset of fall makes me a bit wistful, nostalgic, and sometimes homesick.  I was reflecting today on this time of year in years past - during the last four years in Houston, fall hasn't really existed.  It's like one long summer that goes until Thanksgiving, then gets cold and rainy, then turns to summer again in late February.  I missed REAL fall - leaves changing colors, football games, Boy Scout popcorn...  Jerusalem fall is a little bit closer to South Carolina fall than Houston fall, in that it's colder here, but it's not the same feeling.

I was thinking of particular fall memories today... like wearing a turtleneck to school and having to hold onto the cuff of the sleeve when putting on a jacket or sweater over it so that the sleeve doesn't bunch up on your arm.  More memories rushed in when I got an email from my mom:

"I just saw that it is Sesame Street's 40th anniversary so thought you might like to sing a few old favorites like “abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz”   or “put down the duckie”

It's the little things... Don't worry though, I'm not homesick.  I'm just enjoying the contrasts, the change in season, and the memories.