Fall backward. If it weren't for the adage &#8220Fall backward, spring forward,” I'd be in trouble. At 2 a.m., this Sunday, Oct. 30, we have to turn our clocks back one hour. An extra hour of sleep and rest.

I'm sure that everyone noticed the first real cold breezes this past Monday. After hearing my mom complaining about the cold weather, I had to remind her of what the calendar says. It's hard to believe that November is just next week. This means it's time to winterize everything: your clothes, your home, and your car.

After hearing the weather reports and knowing that fall was going to finally make an appearance, I went thumbing through my closet to see what was actually in there that would keep me warm. One thing I do love about winter is the clothes. Plenty of material. I think we've discussed that sore point before.

Most people have a &#8220summer closet” and a &#8220winter closet” of clothes. I quickly realized that my &#8220winter closet” needed replenishing.

I've noticed the Christmas sweaters on sale; however, I simply refuse to purchase something that I can only wear for a few weeks. I take that back- I think I have one Christmas sweater. Oh, well. So much for my convictions.

One of the best things about the cold weather coming is that now we can build a fire. There's nothing like that wood-burning, ashy smell. It makes me want to do just what bears do in the winter-hibernate. On a cold day, all I need is a fire in the fireplace, a blanket or throw, some hot chocolate and a good book. Wait a minute, did I say bear? I meant a slug.

By the way, if we must do &#8220spring cleaning,” then I guess we must also do some &#8220fall cleaning” as well. I think I'm ahead of that game. Aren't the leaves supposed to fall and decompose on the ground? Well, that takes care of any raking that might need to be done. Just let Nature take its course, I say.

Cleaning? It took a long time for that layer of dust to find its way to the top of my dresser. Actually, that tan color matches the fall d\u00E9cor outside, so surely I'm not supposed to mess it up.

Don't forget about winterizing your car. Make sure that it has plenty of Freon in it, and always keep an ice scraper in the trunk for those really cold mornings. Of course, your driver's license works just as well.

With the smells of fall and winter in the air, I'm already thinking about the Christmas tree. Live cedar trees are the best because the whole house smells like it. When I was growing up, we always had a live tree, and they usually came from my grandparents' farm, Hollie and Lucille Sexton, in Searcy. We would all go into the woods and look for a cedar tree until we found just the right one, then my dad would cut it down. Many times, though, the height of that tree would have to be &#8220corrected” after we got it back to the house. That's just part of the fun of it all. Now, if you buy an artificial tree, you've just taken away the smell and the experience of getting your own. I know live trees are messy and can be very troublesome, but I'm glad for my childhood memories of my family cutting down our own Christmas trees.

See what happens when the first real winter weather comes in? Unpack the winter clothes and break out the hot chocolate. I think I might even go buy myself a Christmas sweater this week.

Regina Grayson is a reporter with the Greenville Advocate.

She can be reached at 334-383-9302, ext. 126 or via e-mail at regina.grayson@greenvilleadvocate.com.