Can a phone call at 5:30 in the morning be a good thing? Not too often. And not in this case. I was roused from slumber to learn that a deer had chosen to commit suicide on the front of Michael's truck. Off I went to meet him at the Elma Rest Area, where we finished making all the necessary calls...police, insurance, tow. Got wonderful service from our ins. co., tho we had to wait over an hour for the tow....which was coming from 45 miles away (when there were tow companies in Elma not 5 miles away).
We are now wondering if his '98 Toyota...with 230,000 miles on it...might be considered "totalled". Hope not. This has been a really great truck. We ARE looking into getting something that gets even better mileage, so let's hope this works out for the best.
If bad things come in threes....I hope this is the end of it. Our shop broken into and chainsaws stolen in November.....then the storm and resulting damages....and now his truck. Enough already.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
SMILING HELPS
The weekend of Dec. 2 proved to be rather interesting around here. The winds began to blow about noon that Sunday, and they continued until Tuesday morning. They say we had 13-16 inches of rain in that period, but I'm not sure any of it hit the ground around here....the high winds were sending it in another direction. I went blissfully to sleep Sunday night, hearing the wind (which at times sounded like a freight train), but not really concerned. Little did I know that winds reaching category 3 hurricane-speed were tearing through the west part of our county.
We awoke Monday morning to a totally different landscape. The first thing I noticed when opening the living room drapes, was that the last of our major pine trees (60') had gone sideways into the power pole servicing our area, snapping off the top 20 feet. The tree and the top of the pole were dangling in the wires over the 4-lane highway bordering our property. It didn't matter....there was no traffic at all. We found out later that you couldn't get in or out of Aberdeen....and Central Park, where we live....because of so many similar situations repeating itself up and down the highway. We were kind of surprised...but not alarmed. We didn't yet know the full extent of the damage. We thought, "Well...it's gonna be late tonight before we get power." We have a fireplace with an insert, so we weren't cold. And fortunately (if one can call anything fortunate about these kinds of storms), it's usually warmer than normal when they occur. We were okay....just inconvenienced.
I dug out the battery-powered radio, and could find no local station. An Olympia station provided most of our news, and it was through them that we learned there was no getting in or out. We learned there were slides covering the highway in the 45 miles between here and Olympia too. We were beginning to be concerned. Power might be out longer than we expected, and we had two freezers full of food that needed to be protected.
Tuesday morning we were off to Olympia to get generators. Mind you, there were none left in Grays Harbor County, and we only found one in Olympia because the Cabela's store was so new, folks weren't thinking of them as a source of portable power. We had to divert around the slide area at Summit Lake, but got through with no problems. There were a great many semi-trucks lined up that apparently hadn't heard about the slide, and were too big to take the detour. We noticed several long flatbed trucks loaded with power poles, and we kept our fingers crossed that they would find a way through. Anyway, we got the last generator in Cabelas...and borrowed another from my brother-in-law (thanks, Randy!). And we got a hot meal too...our first in days! (Thanks, Sarah!) We were able to get power to our place, and to my father-in-law. And so we settled in for the wait.
Late Tuesday afternoon power crews began arriving. Up until then it was just too windy for them to begin working. It was with real joy that we welcomed a team of "pud people" to the front of our house....where they stayed until the following Saturday. Let's give a shout out to Michels Power.....thanks guys! You worked 24/7 to get our area of the world up and running. And thanks to my brother-in-law, Al....I'm sure it was he who got us a phone by Wednesday...when a whole lot of other people didn't have one until that weekend.
We had water....but you couldn't drink it without boiling it. And since it was a hassle to heat up the barbecue to boil water, we drank bottled. Wed. night they drilled a hole through our water line (drilling a hole for the new power pole), and without phones to most of our area, no one could get ahold of the water dept. to turn it off. We didn't know this until early (4 a.m) Thursday morning, when Michael got up for work. His first day back to work, and we had a lake in our front yard. He madly began digging trenches through our yard to divert the water to the driveway....instead of going under the house. We still have the trenches, but the water is gone. Our front lawn was rather sad to begin with....now it's even more interesting. It was Monday before we got a new water-line in, and Tuesday they gave us the go-ahead to drink it. Fortunately for us, we have a creek running through the property, so we were able to bring in buckets of water to flush the toilet during the time we had no water at all.
By Wednesday Sunny 102.1 was back on the air....with donated gas for their generators. Rhys Davis's show in the morning was a bright spot in our day. We were constantly updated with what was going on in around us....when a grocery store would open, who was giving away free ice or water...what restaurants were open for business. With most of the county blacked out, there were no gas stations....no grocery stores....no restaurants. People were making gas-runs to Olympia. Michael brought home drinking water from work. It was interesting to say the least. The spokeswoman for the PUD gave updates several times a day, and it was then we realized that we weren't getting power for another 5 or more days. The governor had declared our county a disaster, so FEMA was coming in with help in the form of generators, and checks for food and shelter. We knew lots of people that had parts of their roofs missing. My girlfriend lost her car to a tree....but she was wanting a new one anyway...fortunately! There was some flooding in east county, and millions and millions of board feet of timber now lay on the ground.
And because we had no power for the week, we missed all the TV coverage on our neighbors to the southeast in Lewis County, who were in much worse shape than us, with horrible flooding. I-5 was closed for days. Even parts of Olympia were flooded, with water up to the roofs of cars only a few blocks from the shopping mall. It was amazing.
But, here we are....one week after life returned to normal....getting ready for Christmas. It will take us awhile to get this mess cleaned up, but no real damage done to our place. Other people fared a LOT worse. And look at the rest of the COUNTRY....those ice storms in Oklahoma (off all places) and other parts of the midwest....all that snow in New England. And it's not even winter yet. Help.
We awoke Monday morning to a totally different landscape. The first thing I noticed when opening the living room drapes, was that the last of our major pine trees (60') had gone sideways into the power pole servicing our area, snapping off the top 20 feet. The tree and the top of the pole were dangling in the wires over the 4-lane highway bordering our property. It didn't matter....there was no traffic at all. We found out later that you couldn't get in or out of Aberdeen....and Central Park, where we live....because of so many similar situations repeating itself up and down the highway. We were kind of surprised...but not alarmed. We didn't yet know the full extent of the damage. We thought, "Well...it's gonna be late tonight before we get power." We have a fireplace with an insert, so we weren't cold. And fortunately (if one can call anything fortunate about these kinds of storms), it's usually warmer than normal when they occur. We were okay....just inconvenienced.
I dug out the battery-powered radio, and could find no local station. An Olympia station provided most of our news, and it was through them that we learned there was no getting in or out. We learned there were slides covering the highway in the 45 miles between here and Olympia too. We were beginning to be concerned. Power might be out longer than we expected, and we had two freezers full of food that needed to be protected.
Tuesday morning we were off to Olympia to get generators. Mind you, there were none left in Grays Harbor County, and we only found one in Olympia because the Cabela's store was so new, folks weren't thinking of them as a source of portable power. We had to divert around the slide area at Summit Lake, but got through with no problems. There were a great many semi-trucks lined up that apparently hadn't heard about the slide, and were too big to take the detour. We noticed several long flatbed trucks loaded with power poles, and we kept our fingers crossed that they would find a way through. Anyway, we got the last generator in Cabelas...and borrowed another from my brother-in-law (thanks, Randy!). And we got a hot meal too...our first in days! (Thanks, Sarah!) We were able to get power to our place, and to my father-in-law. And so we settled in for the wait.
Late Tuesday afternoon power crews began arriving. Up until then it was just too windy for them to begin working. It was with real joy that we welcomed a team of "pud people" to the front of our house....where they stayed until the following Saturday. Let's give a shout out to Michels Power.....thanks guys! You worked 24/7 to get our area of the world up and running. And thanks to my brother-in-law, Al....I'm sure it was he who got us a phone by Wednesday...when a whole lot of other people didn't have one until that weekend.
We had water....but you couldn't drink it without boiling it. And since it was a hassle to heat up the barbecue to boil water, we drank bottled. Wed. night they drilled a hole through our water line (drilling a hole for the new power pole), and without phones to most of our area, no one could get ahold of the water dept. to turn it off. We didn't know this until early (4 a.m) Thursday morning, when Michael got up for work. His first day back to work, and we had a lake in our front yard. He madly began digging trenches through our yard to divert the water to the driveway....instead of going under the house. We still have the trenches, but the water is gone. Our front lawn was rather sad to begin with....now it's even more interesting. It was Monday before we got a new water-line in, and Tuesday they gave us the go-ahead to drink it. Fortunately for us, we have a creek running through the property, so we were able to bring in buckets of water to flush the toilet during the time we had no water at all.
By Wednesday Sunny 102.1 was back on the air....with donated gas for their generators. Rhys Davis's show in the morning was a bright spot in our day. We were constantly updated with what was going on in around us....when a grocery store would open, who was giving away free ice or water...what restaurants were open for business. With most of the county blacked out, there were no gas stations....no grocery stores....no restaurants. People were making gas-runs to Olympia. Michael brought home drinking water from work. It was interesting to say the least. The spokeswoman for the PUD gave updates several times a day, and it was then we realized that we weren't getting power for another 5 or more days. The governor had declared our county a disaster, so FEMA was coming in with help in the form of generators, and checks for food and shelter. We knew lots of people that had parts of their roofs missing. My girlfriend lost her car to a tree....but she was wanting a new one anyway...fortunately! There was some flooding in east county, and millions and millions of board feet of timber now lay on the ground.
And because we had no power for the week, we missed all the TV coverage on our neighbors to the southeast in Lewis County, who were in much worse shape than us, with horrible flooding. I-5 was closed for days. Even parts of Olympia were flooded, with water up to the roofs of cars only a few blocks from the shopping mall. It was amazing.
But, here we are....one week after life returned to normal....getting ready for Christmas. It will take us awhile to get this mess cleaned up, but no real damage done to our place. Other people fared a LOT worse. And look at the rest of the COUNTRY....those ice storms in Oklahoma (off all places) and other parts of the midwest....all that snow in New England. And it's not even winter yet. Help.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
THE STUFF DREAMS ARE MADE OF
"Welcome to Cabela's....and thank you. Thank you for your part in making this store a reality!" We were greeted by half a dozen or more smiling employees, shaking our hands, thanking us for building their store, and asking what part we played in the process. They accompanied us through the entrance, asking where we'd like to go first, and pointing the way to the different areas of the store.....camping, fishing, marine, home, and of course, archery, hunting, and "camo." Needless to say, my husband is in 7th heaven. Is there a higher one than that? If so, he's there.
It was "Contractor" night...a chance for those who'd built the building to go in and shop, at a discount, with their families before the store opened to the general public this weekend. The parking lot was full, and parts of the store were really crowded, but it was really an enjoyable experience. No where have we ever encountered such smiling, helpful employees. They were out en masse and were more than eager to answer your questions, find the product you were after, and quickly made dozens of trips to the cashier center to see what kind of discount was being offered on different items. They certainly earned their money last night, and I can only wonder if they will still be smiling by the time Christmas is over! (Of course, my family knows that whoever has Michael's name for Christmas, they need look no further than the check-out counter at Cabela's...where the gift cards are...for his gift.)
We spent three hours in the store, and if we'd been able to get into the restaurant there, we'd have stayed til they closed. As it was, the place was packed to the rafters with hungry shoppers, and so we went elsewhere. We will be back, tho, for the restaurant serves wild game, and I'm told they have lots of varieties to try. There is also chicken and hot dogs for the not so adventurous.
Needless to say, I don't need to do any (more) Christmas shopping for my hubby this year. He's done it all himself....hurrah! But I'll probably sneak a new sweater in. What's Christmas without a new sweater?
It was "Contractor" night...a chance for those who'd built the building to go in and shop, at a discount, with their families before the store opened to the general public this weekend. The parking lot was full, and parts of the store were really crowded, but it was really an enjoyable experience. No where have we ever encountered such smiling, helpful employees. They were out en masse and were more than eager to answer your questions, find the product you were after, and quickly made dozens of trips to the cashier center to see what kind of discount was being offered on different items. They certainly earned their money last night, and I can only wonder if they will still be smiling by the time Christmas is over! (Of course, my family knows that whoever has Michael's name for Christmas, they need look no further than the check-out counter at Cabela's...where the gift cards are...for his gift.)
We spent three hours in the store, and if we'd been able to get into the restaurant there, we'd have stayed til they closed. As it was, the place was packed to the rafters with hungry shoppers, and so we went elsewhere. We will be back, tho, for the restaurant serves wild game, and I'm told they have lots of varieties to try. There is also chicken and hot dogs for the not so adventurous.
Needless to say, I don't need to do any (more) Christmas shopping for my hubby this year. He's done it all himself....hurrah! But I'll probably sneak a new sweater in. What's Christmas without a new sweater?
Saturday, November 3, 2007
IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK ALOT LIKE.....
Today was "open house" at all the little gift shops in town. A holiday mood prevails, and my friend Laurie and I traditionally make the rounds of these shops each year on this special weekend, and end with lunch and conversation.
We began our adventure this year at Country Tyme. It's a really special place any time of year, but for the holidays all sorts of special treats abound. Every nook and cranny is stuffed with the things that women delight in....beautiful fabrics, scents, pottery creations, foodstuffs, jewelry, the whimsical and the downright gorgeous. And the place smells divine! I can always tell when my husband has shopped there for a treat for me, because the package smells like their shop! This is the kind of store where you'd love to work....but would never take home a paycheck because you'd spend it before you got it.
I made a variety of purchases here today. A gorgeous green polyester "silk" table runner, embroidered with satin ribbons in the shape of a Christmas tree at each end, and a wreath in the center with ribbon roses and beading. It is so lovely...and at 20% off (everything in the store!) a mere $24.
I also picked up a taffeta velvet-lined drawstring bag...embroidered with flowers. The inside has individual pockets for jewelry. It's beautiful....and again, only a mere $12. I have a thing for fabrics (avid quilter that I am), and these are both beautiful.
I picked up 6 new folk-art angels for the dining room tree, some tiny sterling silver and coral earrings for Rebecca, and a stir-fry cookbook. I also picked up a ceramic travel mug with a picture of a frazzeled housewife and a saying that read "I'm a complex woman with many moods.....and they all require chocolate!" So true. I added that to my pile at the counter, but Laurie snatched it away and said she had intended that to be my Christmas gift, and insisted on paying for it. I got to take it home now, tho. :-)
From there we popped in next door to the liquor store where I purchased a bottle of rum for the fruitcakes I make. My brother-in-law said last year that we needed a new tradition of my bringing fruitcake to every Thanksgiving dinner now (as I did last year), so that means I need to get baking.
The Kitchen Links store was crammed with women....I think they were there for the food! In the entryway to their store was a table set up with several different dips and crackers, chocolate truffles and cookies, a pot full of cocktail meatballs, and platters of wrap sandwiches. We elbowed our way around the shop and found lots of things we'd like to have, but the prices were a little high...as usual. I did buy a pasta bowl set....but only because I really liked the big bowl that was on display, not knowing that it came with four individual pasta bowls. It was big, yellow and red...tomatoes, I think, on a yellow background. It will look great on my dining room table. I can't imagine ever making enough pasta to fill it, but it's really pretty.
Next door was the Country Closet, and they had their usual array of decorative items...none of which looked "fresh"....the same old thing from past years. They did have some new candles...beautifully made. The brown ones looked like leather, they were gorgeous.
Across the street to the town's quilt shop. In and out. The place is pathetic. I don't know what keeps them in business. I have to order my fabrics from online shops.
We had an amazing lunch at Casa Mia....tortellini in a butter cream sauce...and the other half in tomato....a wonderful big bowl of French onion soup (oh, man!)...and it also came with salad (cheese and olives on romaine) and bread. For $6.50! I ignored the salad and bread, and concentrated on the soup.
It was a lovely afternoon. It's not often that Laurie and I get time to spend together, so this was a real treat. Once again we vow to do this more often. In fact, we will do it in two weeks when the holiday fairs at the other end of the county happen. The big show at the pavillion at the fairgrounds, open house at Blackberry Hollow and P, B & J's.....now THERE'S a fun shop. Amazing stuff at amazing prices. And lunch at Saginaws...exceptional food. And a martini bar!
It's official. I'm in the mood. Let the holidays begin!
P.S. Got a call this evening from the Country Closet. I am a winner of a $25 gift certificate. Now I can go back and buy the ivory-colored pedestal cake plate I was carrying around...but changed my mind about. Yay.
We began our adventure this year at Country Tyme. It's a really special place any time of year, but for the holidays all sorts of special treats abound. Every nook and cranny is stuffed with the things that women delight in....beautiful fabrics, scents, pottery creations, foodstuffs, jewelry, the whimsical and the downright gorgeous. And the place smells divine! I can always tell when my husband has shopped there for a treat for me, because the package smells like their shop! This is the kind of store where you'd love to work....but would never take home a paycheck because you'd spend it before you got it.
I made a variety of purchases here today. A gorgeous green polyester "silk" table runner, embroidered with satin ribbons in the shape of a Christmas tree at each end, and a wreath in the center with ribbon roses and beading. It is so lovely...and at 20% off (everything in the store!) a mere $24.
I also picked up a taffeta velvet-lined drawstring bag...embroidered with flowers. The inside has individual pockets for jewelry. It's beautiful....and again, only a mere $12. I have a thing for fabrics (avid quilter that I am), and these are both beautiful.
I picked up 6 new folk-art angels for the dining room tree, some tiny sterling silver and coral earrings for Rebecca, and a stir-fry cookbook. I also picked up a ceramic travel mug with a picture of a frazzeled housewife and a saying that read "I'm a complex woman with many moods.....and they all require chocolate!" So true. I added that to my pile at the counter, but Laurie snatched it away and said she had intended that to be my Christmas gift, and insisted on paying for it. I got to take it home now, tho. :-)
From there we popped in next door to the liquor store where I purchased a bottle of rum for the fruitcakes I make. My brother-in-law said last year that we needed a new tradition of my bringing fruitcake to every Thanksgiving dinner now (as I did last year), so that means I need to get baking.
The Kitchen Links store was crammed with women....I think they were there for the food! In the entryway to their store was a table set up with several different dips and crackers, chocolate truffles and cookies, a pot full of cocktail meatballs, and platters of wrap sandwiches. We elbowed our way around the shop and found lots of things we'd like to have, but the prices were a little high...as usual. I did buy a pasta bowl set....but only because I really liked the big bowl that was on display, not knowing that it came with four individual pasta bowls. It was big, yellow and red...tomatoes, I think, on a yellow background. It will look great on my dining room table. I can't imagine ever making enough pasta to fill it, but it's really pretty.
Next door was the Country Closet, and they had their usual array of decorative items...none of which looked "fresh"....the same old thing from past years. They did have some new candles...beautifully made. The brown ones looked like leather, they were gorgeous.
Across the street to the town's quilt shop. In and out. The place is pathetic. I don't know what keeps them in business. I have to order my fabrics from online shops.
We had an amazing lunch at Casa Mia....tortellini in a butter cream sauce...and the other half in tomato....a wonderful big bowl of French onion soup (oh, man!)...and it also came with salad (cheese and olives on romaine) and bread. For $6.50! I ignored the salad and bread, and concentrated on the soup.
It was a lovely afternoon. It's not often that Laurie and I get time to spend together, so this was a real treat. Once again we vow to do this more often. In fact, we will do it in two weeks when the holiday fairs at the other end of the county happen. The big show at the pavillion at the fairgrounds, open house at Blackberry Hollow and P, B & J's.....now THERE'S a fun shop. Amazing stuff at amazing prices. And lunch at Saginaws...exceptional food. And a martini bar!
It's official. I'm in the mood. Let the holidays begin!
P.S. Got a call this evening from the Country Closet. I am a winner of a $25 gift certificate. Now I can go back and buy the ivory-colored pedestal cake plate I was carrying around...but changed my mind about. Yay.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
WHERE'S NATE WHEN YOU NEED HIM?
I am never so aware of my lack of interior decorating skills as when I pick out paint colors. No matter how much I study those paint chips I always, ALWAYS, get it wrong. (Well, not always. I insisted on Martha Stewart Bee Balm Red for my office space, and I LOVE IT.)
My dining room had three shades of yellow on it before I found the right one. And even then I made the mistake of painting the ceiling the same color, when it should have been a lighter shade. Some day when I'm feeling brave I'll change it. My bathroom paint was in shades of gray to match the tub, etc. but in that room with so little natural light, the paint looks blue. I hate blue. Our bedroom is a disgusting shade of "antique green" that has a blue tint, and the carpet is a tweed of lighter greens and browns. I let Michael pick that out. I hate it too. The two don't go together at all.
Obviously carpet and I don't do well either. I ripped out the last one we put in, and put in another, and in the past year I have seriously come to not like it either. It's in the living room, and that's the room I'm currently trying to paint. I'm on my third paint color....tested on the small wall the stairs are on...and I hate it. Oh, it is SOOOO wrong.
I am just not cut out for this. It's ovioulsy not in my genes. I'd had the job over to my hubby, but he's not interested....tho he does (USUALLY) make better choices than I do. He stands back and lets me do my thing, and then comes to the rescue with a suggestion that usually works out better than my original plan.
Sometimes I think I'm expecting too much from a little can of color. I would love to have the entire room magically transformed, and paint is not up to the task. The needs of this old house go deeper than any can of paint can fix, and what we really need is discipline....to dig in and get to fixing and finishing all the undone projects around here.
My dining room had three shades of yellow on it before I found the right one. And even then I made the mistake of painting the ceiling the same color, when it should have been a lighter shade. Some day when I'm feeling brave I'll change it. My bathroom paint was in shades of gray to match the tub, etc. but in that room with so little natural light, the paint looks blue. I hate blue. Our bedroom is a disgusting shade of "antique green" that has a blue tint, and the carpet is a tweed of lighter greens and browns. I let Michael pick that out. I hate it too. The two don't go together at all.
Obviously carpet and I don't do well either. I ripped out the last one we put in, and put in another, and in the past year I have seriously come to not like it either. It's in the living room, and that's the room I'm currently trying to paint. I'm on my third paint color....tested on the small wall the stairs are on...and I hate it. Oh, it is SOOOO wrong.
I am just not cut out for this. It's ovioulsy not in my genes. I'd had the job over to my hubby, but he's not interested....tho he does (USUALLY) make better choices than I do. He stands back and lets me do my thing, and then comes to the rescue with a suggestion that usually works out better than my original plan.
Sometimes I think I'm expecting too much from a little can of color. I would love to have the entire room magically transformed, and paint is not up to the task. The needs of this old house go deeper than any can of paint can fix, and what we really need is discipline....to dig in and get to fixing and finishing all the undone projects around here.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
VULNERABLE
A few weeks ago our church was robbed. In the middle of morning service, thieves came in and stole all the monies from the giving boxes in the hallways. Those of us who had checks stolen were advised to close the accounts and open new ones. We went through that process...getting new checks, canceling auto debits from ins. companies and the like, applying for new ATM/debit cards. That was two weeks ago, and our new materials just arrived today.
I was thinking we had things under control when our pastor mentioned that the sheriff had mentioned that we might be vulnerable to robberies since the thieves had our names and addresses, and knew where we were on Sunday mornings. I needed to hear that like a hole in the head.
So today I am trying to do what I can to safeguard some items....I can stash the better jewelry, credit cards, a bit of cash...but in reality, it seems kind of futile. I know the "pros" can think of any place "I" can. I can lock up pertinent personal information in a filing cabinet...but is it really break-in proof? We have a small fire-safe lock box, and that could be carried away. Where do I put all the boxes of financial records, payroll records, investment records that won't fit into the "locked" filing cabinet? If someone wanted to steal one's identity, it wouldn't be too hard. How does one lock up and protect one's life?
I don't like feeling vulnerable, but I'm not going to worry about it too much. What happens, happens, and if so, you deal with the mess it will create and start over. This has been a wake up call. It certainly has me thinking of things we can change....and we'll be doing a few things differently.
I was thinking we had things under control when our pastor mentioned that the sheriff had mentioned that we might be vulnerable to robberies since the thieves had our names and addresses, and knew where we were on Sunday mornings. I needed to hear that like a hole in the head.
So today I am trying to do what I can to safeguard some items....I can stash the better jewelry, credit cards, a bit of cash...but in reality, it seems kind of futile. I know the "pros" can think of any place "I" can. I can lock up pertinent personal information in a filing cabinet...but is it really break-in proof? We have a small fire-safe lock box, and that could be carried away. Where do I put all the boxes of financial records, payroll records, investment records that won't fit into the "locked" filing cabinet? If someone wanted to steal one's identity, it wouldn't be too hard. How does one lock up and protect one's life?
I don't like feeling vulnerable, but I'm not going to worry about it too much. What happens, happens, and if so, you deal with the mess it will create and start over. This has been a wake up call. It certainly has me thinking of things we can change....and we'll be doing a few things differently.
Friday, October 5, 2007
TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON
Okay, I've been holding off on expressing my joy that it is finally FALL because, frankly, it's been more like a Northwest winter out there. But today....today is FALL.
Was it in the 30's when you got up this morning? I don't know what it was when Michael left at 5, but when I crawled out from the down comforter this morning it was a chilly 35. There was a low-lying fog, and the sun was trying to break through. Ahhhhhh.....everything a fall morning should be.
I love this season. I love the darkening days, the warmth of a fireplace, the fact that there's less running around and "making hay while the sun shines." I can put away my sleeveless clothes and hide myself in warm, comfy sweaters. I'm ready to gather-in, find some new quilt projects and good books. Bring out my heavier winter meal fare, and try out some new soup recipes. Think about the holidays. Get those fruitcakes ready for Thanksgiving.
The maples in my yard are turning a gorgeous shade of red. There is snow in the mountains. A fuzzy catepillar was climbing my front door yesterday. (I don't want to talk about the spiders that are hanging EVERYWHERE.) The northern hemisphere is getting ready for rest. Ah, bliss.......
Was it in the 30's when you got up this morning? I don't know what it was when Michael left at 5, but when I crawled out from the down comforter this morning it was a chilly 35. There was a low-lying fog, and the sun was trying to break through. Ahhhhhh.....everything a fall morning should be.
I love this season. I love the darkening days, the warmth of a fireplace, the fact that there's less running around and "making hay while the sun shines." I can put away my sleeveless clothes and hide myself in warm, comfy sweaters. I'm ready to gather-in, find some new quilt projects and good books. Bring out my heavier winter meal fare, and try out some new soup recipes. Think about the holidays. Get those fruitcakes ready for Thanksgiving.
The maples in my yard are turning a gorgeous shade of red. There is snow in the mountains. A fuzzy catepillar was climbing my front door yesterday. (I don't want to talk about the spiders that are hanging EVERYWHERE.) The northern hemisphere is getting ready for rest. Ah, bliss.......
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