The Seasons by Sarah E. Hogeland

Hello, my name is Sarah. I am proud to call myself Ashley's best friend. I am also a Californian. You may have heard of us because, fairly recently, we had a huge debacle over splitting California into two states. It was ridiculous, but it got us quite a bit of fame. Other things that we are famous for are Celebrity mugshots,  a bald Britney Spears, and being pretty much the only state with one season.

For only having one season, we picked a pretty good one. We picked summer. Which is filled with going to the beach, eating popsicles, and walking around barefoot. However there are some things that we miss. Most of our trees don't change color, for one thing. But most of us are also very familiar with the television version of a fireplace.

When you only have one actual season that anyone can detect, it becomes a talent to spot when the seasons actually do change. Only amateurs will go off the calendar, true Californians go by a feeling. I know when it's fall, because I feel the slight change in the air. Fall in California. Not something people flock to California for. They come for the beaches, they leave when the Santa Ana winds pick up. So, what does a Californian Fall look like?

Neither of my parents grew up here. So, they just don't get why most people on our block decorate for every holiday. And when I say decorate, I am talking about Haunted Houses on every lawn and doubling the yearly electricity consumption at Christmas. I am talking about not just a pretty string of lights, but getting the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on their front lawn. It's because we have to decorate to truly believe the holidays are coming. We wear shorts and are still sweating when we pick up our Christmas tree, so we gotta find a way to believe the Holidays are actually coming.

I look forward to the Fall because of the Holidays, and I look forward to the holidays because of the family, the friends, and the food. The three F's are very important during the Holidays. And here is where I get to the sad part of my post. One of the most important parts of my Holidays and, indeed, my whole year, is my best friend and the normal author of this blog, Ashley. She has been so much a part of my life that she is my family. It is rare you get to pick who your family is, and I picked her a long time ago, and I wouldn't have it any other way. She has shaped so much of my crazy, fun-loving, bold self, that I am always going to have a piece of her with me, but it just isn't the same as having her around. I will miss her truly, deeply, madly. I love you, Ashley.


Sarah is the authoress of a blog called In the Golden Darkness, which you can find at http://inthegoldendarkness.blogspot.com/