When I say, 'pumpkin' to my husband, he cringes, walks away and covers his mouth in a fake dry heave. He may be the only one in North America that recoils at the thought of anything pumpkin. He has a right to, as he still can't get the smell of acrid, decaying pumpkin out of his nostrils. He physically shudders when he sees or smells pumpkin.I may have left pumpkins to die in the back of my car one year. The pulp may have embedded itself into the upholstery.Two car details, Febreeze, bleach and multiple air fresheners later, the faint smell of pumpkin is still noticeable. Three years later.

However, the rest of the world has lost their collective damn mind about 'pumpkin spice' anything. Starbucks started the whole craze years ago with their seasonal fall drink that has over 120,000 people in step with Pumpkin Spice Latte. Check them out on Twitter, @TheRealPSL. In fact, Starbucks unleashed ,'The Orange Sleeve Society,' which is a special club for Pumpkin Spice Latte lovers, complete with an orange sweater vest coozy for the fall drink. A friend via Twitter has to invite you,or you spread the word and invite someone else to gain access to the 'exclusive' club. They have their own hashtag of course. #OrangeSleeveSociety.

The rumor I heard was if you took ten selfies, wearing orange sunglasses, drinking a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, you would gain automatic membership. Just a rumor...

When did fall and pumpkin spice become a holiday? Halloween is still winning the popularity contest for October, but we as a society has taken consumerism to a whole new level with the ubiquitous, pervasiveness of pumpkin, spice, and latte everywhere and in everything. And, I would be a hypocrite if I didn't own up to the fact that I rearranged last Wednesday afternoon,just so I could get a Pumpkin Chai at a local coffee shop. No immunity here. Succumbed to the spice. ( And it was ridiculously good.)

Fall used to be just leaves, trick-o-treating, and apple picking. Now, you need a ginormous tartan scarf ,hazelnut Frye boots, decorate your house like frickin' Frankenstein's castle,( inside and out) eat pumpkin muffins, drink hot beverages infused with pumpkin, and make sure your kitchen smells like french toast. For 31 days. Maybe longer if you count the last week of September.

The grocery store, mall, and hardware store are all in cahoots on making fall a holiday, not a season. We, as consumers, are drinking it up, one pumpkin spice latte at a time.

Trader Joe's had close to fifty products with pumpkin in the title. There was probably more, but I can't do math and I got sidetracked by the Dark Chocolate Bar with Sea Salt Caramel & Pumpkin Spice, sprinkled with harvest love and foliage joy.

Happy Pumpkin Spice Latte!