To me, autumn has always seemed to be a season of looking ahead. One need only look in the nearest store window to see that Halloween decorations and fall fashions are taking over the shelves where swimsuits and picnic gear once resided.

Indeed, the lazy summer days are behind us, and as the kids go back to school, there’s a general sense of regrouping and re-energizing as we take a look at where we are, nine months into the year.