Friends,
Welcome to the first week of September. It contains multitudes, and possibly a little separation anxiety, since summer's not gone but it's already packing.
The State Fair is still mid-run. Backpacks are ready by the door. This is a week of adjustment, for everyone: kids relearning bedtimes, parents relearning schedules, the rest of us just relearning our own routines, because summer didn't believe in those. Consider it the warm-up lap before the real pace of fall kicks in.
And Minnesota weather, incapable of a clean exit, is throwing one last blast of humidity at us. A parting shot. As if to say: don't get too comfortable...ever.
Labor Day weekend is a few days out. Consider it a false start, one last three-day tease before the actual pace of fall kicks in. I'm not discussing anything beyond that.
THE SEPTEMBER SWITCH
FOR THE HOUSE THAT'S ALSO HAVING AN IDENTITY CRISIS
- Swap the porch for the mudroom. Backpacks need a landing zone that isn't the kitchen floor.
- Check the AC one more time. This humidity isn't finished with you yet, no matter what your pumpkin candle says.
- Clean the gutters before the leaves start their descent. September looks lazy. It is not.
- Reset the thermostat schedule. Summer had no rules. Fall has a bedtime.
- Do a walk-through with fresh eyes. The house you left for two months of Fair season and pool days needs a proper hello.
The house doesn't know it's back-to-school season. Only you do, so act accordingly.
OBJECT OF DESIRE
One object of desire for the sensorial season we are in.
STILL: The Art of Noticing by Mary Jo Hoffman ($60, hardcover, Monacelli Press)
Hoffman is Minnesota's own, a former aeronautical engineer who left rocket science to photograph one piece of found nature every single day for over a decade. The book collects 275 of those images, organized around the old Japanese calendar of 72 micro-seasons, each lasting about five days. Which is, frankly, the only calendar that's ever made sense of September.
It's not a coffee table book so much as a permission slip: to slow down, to look closer, to notice the in-between the way she does. Buy it local, from that independently owned bookstore in your neighborhood .
A NOTE FROM NATASHA
Separation anxiety isn't just a September thing. I see it in longtime homeowners too, the ones who've built a whole life inside four walls and can't picture saying goodbye.
Leaving a home you love isn't a loss. It's just another in-between, and it's allowed to take its time. If you're standing in that space, I'd love to talk it through.
Warmly,
Natasha
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FAQ
What neighborhoods does Natasha Cejudo serve?
Natasha Cejudo, a real estate advisor with Sotheby's International Realty, specializes in Saint Paul's Macalester Groveland, Highland Park, Summit Hill, and Summit University neighborhoods.
What is WOW (Words of Wisdom)?
WOW is Natasha Cejudo's weekly Wednesday newsletter, blending personal essays, seasonal home tips, curated design finds, and real estate insight for Saint Paul homeowners and buyers.
What is the current real estate market like in Saint Paul?
Market conditions shift month to month; Natasha covers current average sale prices and trends in her end-of-month Market Update issues. Reach out directly for the latest numbers in your neighborhood.
Who is Natasha Cejudo?
Natasha Cejudo is a Saint Paul-based real estate advisor with Sotheby's International Realty, known for her personal, design-forward approach to helping clients buy and sell homes in Macalester Groveland, Highland Park, Summit Hill, and Summit University.
