Some old friends who relocated from Michigan to Florida a few years ago recently posted on Facebook that they know when fall has arrived in the Sunshine State – not because the leaves change colors, but because the license plates do. I have only been to Florida once and even though it is beautiful, I would never want to live there. Can you say hurricane? Yes, we have an occasional tornado, but it is not the same.
When my parents were alive, they wintered in Florida on Sanibel Island. We’ve all seen what Hurricane Ian recently did there. They later moved their permanent home to Arizona, and I can understand why my dad wanted to live there. As a boy growing up in Germany, he devoured everything he could that was written about cowboys and the American West. He was able to spend the last years of his life living his dream. Having said that, my dad would tell me there were no mosquitoes in Arizona, so screens on windows are not necessary. In the next sentence, he said he had to check his slippers every morning to make sure a scorpion hadn’t crawled into one of them. (I’ll take the mosquito bites, thank you very much.)
No, I am a Midwestern girl at heart and would never give up the joy I get from the changing seasons. I even like the winters, sans driving on icy roads. There’s nothing quite like watching a nice snowfall outside while cozying up to a roaring fire inside with a good book or movie.
Springtime brings the joy of turning off the heat and throwing open the windows, planting flowers and a vegetable garden. Seeing the tulips and lilacs bloom is my official sign that spring has arrived.
Michigan summers are wonderful with so many things to do, especially activities on the many lakes and beaches. Our local downtowns have many fine restaurants with outdoor seating, concerts in the park, car shows, art shows, farmers’ markets and more during the summer months. There is no big city in America that has a Fourth of July parade like those we enjoy in our small towns.
How can anyone not like fall, with the cooler temperatures and changing leaves. I confess: I’m not a huge football fan, but I do love high school sports. My house is located not far from Fenton High School. I can sit on my front porch and hear the announcer calling the action on the football field, and the crowd cheering when a touchdown is scored.
The holiday season is by far my favorite time of year in Michigan. From Halloween to Thanksgiving to Christmas –
I love everything we do here to celebrate.
There is something very wrong, in my humble opinion, with a street corner Santa Claus wearing sunglasses, shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, and twinkling Christmas lights strung on a palm tree or cactus.
Nope, not for this girl.
