I had intended to post at least one more entry for September but events caught up with me, and so now I have to face the fact that it is October but I am nowhere near where I had hoped to be.

As things go during this time of the year, we get more rains (which is a good thing for me because it means lower temperatures) and the occasional flash floods. It has become noticeably cooler around dawn, and already we are beginning to hear more Christmas songs being aired in malls and radio stations. I also know of some people who are already starting to draw up (and buying items in) their Christmas list *ahem*. I suppose this makes sense for those who like to plan ahead and who typically have tons of things to buy and organize during the holidays.

So what makes October different from all the other months of the year?

For some reason, the word Oktoberfest looms largely in my mind. Whenever I hear somebody mention Oktoberfest, I have this mental picture of huge tables full of carousing beer drinkers in German costume (men in lederhosen and women in dirndls). And then there’s Halloween — which falls on October 31, a Friday! — always a splendid excuse for kids to dress up and go trick-or-treating, and for grown-ups to hold Halloween-themed parties and wear outlandish costumes without having to justify their wardrobe choices.

Other notable things about October. Those born from Sept. 23 to Oct. 22 fall under the zodiac sign of Libra, and those born from Oct. 23 and onward belong to Scorpio. Birthstones for this month are opal and tourmaline. The birth flower for October is calendula.

And here’s another fun fact — apparently, October is the national pizza month in the US and Canada (wow, pizza has its own month?).