According to my desk calendar, Friday was the start of autumn. I usually don’t like to argue with inanimate objects, but I made an exception when temperatures reached 98 degrees Fahrenheit on what was supposed to be the start of a cooler season.

I’m not sure if my calendar was trying to make up for the sizzling hot end of last week with two days of mild weather conditions on Sunday and Monday, but today’s over 90 temps aren’t putting me in the fall season mood at all.

I spent the weekend planning a full week’s menu of harvest-themed meals. I planned to start out my celebration of autumn with butternut squash soup topped with a cranberry drizzle. My culinary dreams then moved into high gear with a pre-Thanksgiving turkey feast followed by caramel apple pie. Before I could put my dining designs into action, my smart phone alerted me to the weather forecast for the next five days.

There is just no way to really enjoy a perfectly browned turkey right out of the oven while wearing shorts and sucking on a Popsicle. So I postponed my culinary celebration of fall for another week.

But, just because the weather is not cooperating, doesn’t mean the season hasn’t arrived. Every year I look forward to autumn. The change in season coincides with other new beginnings — the start of school, church programs begin anew, football season (with the added bonus of Turlock’s own Colin Kaepernick donning 49ers’ red and gold) and just a general atmosphere of rebirth.

While spring has traditionally been the season of rebirth, I have found that I need two beginnings in a year — not to mention New Year’s — in order to keep my spirits up and feel like there’s still time to actually fulfill annual goals.

I encourage you to follow my example and make this fall season a reason to renew those long lost resolutions from last New Year’s and make a few new ones for the upcoming months.

My fall resolutions this year will center on family. I vow to take a deep breath whenever I feel a family get together becoming stressful. I will remember how lucky I am that I have family members who care enough to invite me to their homes and come to mine.

I will not panic when my best laid plans for holidays and family events come apart at the seams. I will remember that placemats and decorations pale in comparison with the comfort of a hug or supportive comment.

I will remember that it’s just a game and despite my husband’s refusal to root for the RIGHT football team, I still love him.

While maintaining family harmony is my main priority this season. I have a few other goals.

Halloween decorations, however tempting, are only displayed for one month a year and I do not really need that 26 foot inflatable pirate ship manned by skeletons for my front yard — even though I thoroughly enjoy embarrassing my adult daughter with garish holiday displays.

Just because fall begins the seasons of culinary delights, no one needs to eat more than one caramel apple a day.

I really don’t need every new fall fashion in my closet and my Zumba class is still meeting every day, Monday through Friday. This is definitely not the time to take a break from working out!

I think I will have my hands full trying to make good on my fall resolutions. I would love to hear about your resolutions. Send me your resolutions and I will publish them in the Oct. 1 edition of the Journal.

E-mail them to khacker@turlockjournal.com or mail them to 138 S. Center St., Turlock, CA 95380.