Well, it’s that time of year again. We see less of the sun. We see more gray clouds than blue sky. Mornings are in the 50s and if we’re lucky afternoons will be in the 60s. And it’s only going to get worse.

Time for sweaters. Time for tea. And time for experimenting with hot breakfasts.

I’m a pretty big fan of sweaters. Long sleeved shirts I can take or leave. Sweaters are where it’s at. This time of year I get to go through my closet and shuffle some things around. My swimsuit is going to go to the back of the closet. I’ll dig through stacks of not-quite-neatly folded clothing to re-discover sweaters I’ve forgotten I even had, and breathe new life into my wardrobe.

I’ve become a big fan of tea. Lately, we drink a lot of green tea. There’s nothing like a gently steaming mug and a good book. Mornings we may have Tazo chai, little dark brown bags steeping in hot water. I’m also a huge fan of hot chocolate. Especially hot white chocolate. When I was a kid we had Swiss Miss packets, which we would add to hot water. Now that I’m all grown up, I prefer my hot chocolate made with hot (or steamed) milk, instead of water.

But breakfast? Like most people, I don’t have a lot of time in the morning. I wish I did, and I think it’s a shame that I don’t. I’m lucky if I have ten minutes to make something and eat it, and then I have to hit the streets. Usually I eat something toasted, or cereal, and fruit. As the cold sets in, the idea of eating cold cereal in the dark depresses the crap out of me. So this season I’m going to try some new things. For my first experiment, I bought a box of Irish Oatmeal.