Mid-Week and Mid-Month

Here we are smack in the middle of the week...and the month. What happened to the last two weeks? They came and went so fast, I can't even remember what I did during those days!

We have finally put up the chandelier over the dining area table. That baby puts out some light...400 watts, currently. (no pun intended!)  Yesterday we bought a dimmer switch, which will allow us to control that glaring fixture, but it will also afford us the light if we're doing something where we need that much. (I can't imagine needing that much for any reason, but...it's there.)  Yes, we might have opted for small watt bulbs in the fixture which holds ten candles, but the day I was shopping for bulbs locally, there was nothing smaller in the candle bulbs than 40 watts. I knew it was too much, but couldn't find anything less that day. Since then, I've found 7-60 watt ones and flickering ones and frosted ones and clear ones and colored ones.  We'll make do with the switch, I think.

Also, believe it or not, the shutters are now hung and making me very happy!  They didn't work in the kitchen/dining room where I wanted to put them, because on one window they'd have covered half of a triple light switch and on the other side, there's a cabinet that would cover half of the shutter, unless I chose to move the albatross cabinet....and I didn't. So, they are hung on the living room windows, and I'm fine with that.

I think today I'll make some new valances with that black and cream checked fabric I bought ages ago.  I'd like to get them done before the kids get here. I'd also like to get my cards made, but I fear that there won't be any home-made ones this year.

I'm going to pull all of the beachy theme stuff out of the half-bath, too. I've got some other things I'll put up in there...some old quilt squares that I'll frame, and a small ladder shelf. The guest rooms are ready, I just need to vacuum them again before anyone uses them.

Meanwhile...we've done a mini- grocery shopping. Some things were on sale this week, so we took advantage of that...turkey, pot roast and the fattest pork chops I've ever seen made their way into the basket with other needful items.  We're making some headway.

So...if I'm going to make any more of that (headway), I'd better wave good-bye and get busy in some way other than dancing on the keyboard with my fingers! 'Til next time...

Christmas is Coming...

Gosh...it's so close, and I'm running behind on so many things. I'm not ready for Thanksgiving, let alone Christmas. Generally by this time of year, I've got all of my gift shopping finished and waiting for wrapping. I also am well under way, if not finished, with making all the cards that will be sent or taken to church to offer my greetings for Christmas. Not this year.

BUT!  In the corner of the living room stands our new artificial Christmas tree!  Yeah, yeah, I know...so please don't scold me about it being too early!  It definitely IS, but there's a reason, you see.  Though we always wait until, at least, the second week of December to begin decorating, this year the New York kids are coming!  I want to have the decorating finished before they arrive, since they can't be here for Christmas itself.  We'll look more festive around here and the exchange of our gifts three weeks early will feel more like  Christmas.

So...there it stands, bare naked, and looking somewhat out of place. But I've got other things to do, and guests coming for Thanksgiving too....so I've got to get things done as early as I can, since my back doesn't allow for long stints of standing and doing. (My back is aged...and so are my feet....but let it be known, I AM NOT OLD!)  Since much of what has to be done requires a good amount of time on my feet, I'll make preparations when I can, regardless of how silly it looks at the time.

I think I should also do a little early baking and freeze the cookies and breads. I will probably not do as much as I have in the past, but I'd like to have some of the baking finished before the girls arrive in early December. Menu planning too, is already underway....not just for Thanksgiving, but for the ten days the kids will be here. We may even shop at the same time for some of the things that will keep in the freezer or pantry for the Christmas meal.

It's such a busy time of year which starts very soon, so forgive me, if you will, for starting so early!

Disrespect

If there's anything that bothers me about people these days, it's disrespect. I was taught, and I taught my kids,  to respect elders, which meant, among other things, not to talk back no matter how wrong I felt they might be. I was taught to keep quiet if I couldn't say something nice about anyone, including my peers. I was taught to realize that things which belonged to others were not mine to take.  That's all a matter of respect.

These days people don't seem give one iota about any of that.  Kids sass their parents, disobey them without regard of consequences, don't pay attention to teachers or others who are older. They roll their eyes, they walk away, they just don't seem to know the meaning of respect.  It goes beyond that too, as far up as the law enforcement and the government of our country.

It seems that the laws are written for those who will obey them. Criminals don't care about any of them. They do what they do, and I think many of them know full-well that they will get a slap across the knuckles, and they'll be out on the street in no time.  Even people who have taken lives and ruined so many other lives in the process, don't get punishment enough for their law-breaking, in my opinion. 

As for the government of our country, it used to be that people disagreed, and maybe they said so, but they knew that the President was an office to be respected, even if you couldn't respect the decisions or policies of the man in office. He was voted into that position by the people,  and most people recognized that, even if their 'guy' didn't win the election. They'd ride it out until next time.  Now we have uprisings and sit-ins and demonstrations of all kinds, which only seems to feed the fire in others. I haven't got a problem with peaceful demonstrations so that those in authority can 'hear' the voice of the people, but more often than not, these gatherings cause more problems in other areas.

On a much smaller scale, our neighborhood is currently dealing with some issues of vandleism. There have been GPS units stolen, an attempted car theft, scratching of a brand new car and some mailbox bashing. We have decided that we need to organize a neighborhood watch situation, in order to prevent more of this kind of disrespect in our area. Our meeting will be held soon...and hopefully we will be successful in our efforts. It won't stop the disrespect, but at least it may move on to another place. Law breakers will always find somewhere to commit their crimes and show their disregard of authority. I wish it was otherwise, but it isn't....and it galls me.

I Don't Have A Clue...

What to write about today, so bear with me as I muddle my way through this.  Back in the days when I went to a writing group, the moderator always told us to write something every day, no matter what it was, and not to worry about how good it is.  So...this looks like it might be one of those efforts.

I woke to rain, and by the time my coffee had dripped down through the system and made it's way to the pot, it had stopped. There was a wet, drippy fog outside....not thick, but definitely there. I'm one of those people who likes fog. Some people don't, I guess, but it's just kind of eerie and interesting to me. I'm not crazy about standing in rain, especially downpours, I'd much rather be inside, listening to it pound on the roof and window panes. But a wet fog doesn't bother me.

When I went to turn off the coffee pot, I stood at the kitchen window and watched the foggy air  dissipate.  At the risk of sounding like Andy Rooney, I might ask, "Where does fog go, anyway?"  It's a pretty easy question to answer....it evaporates.  Once the air was light and fog free, I poured my coffee and went to watch the morning local news.

There wasn't much of anything to interest me there, as usual. Traffic reports, weather map showing rain in our area but making it's way eastward, news that had been reported last weekend about three criminals that had been caught in Virginia. It must have been a slow news day or something. The reporters were joking and teasing each other, and I just waited it out until the Early Show came on.

I guess it is a slow news day all around.... this blog entry is boring...even to me.  I hope your day is more exciting than my early morning was, and my blog is!  On the other hand, sometimes boring beats excitement hands down, depending up the type of hooplah going on.  Let me rephrase my wish for you... I hope your day is full of FUN excitement!

Day Trip

There's never a time when we spend that day together away from home, that I don't enjoy.  Today was a lovely Fall day, we were comfortable wearing t-shirts, and we decided to take a ride so that we could take a look at a Victorian home that is for sale. Our plan was to look at it from the street, and decide whether or not to make an appointment with the owner to see the interior at a later date. 

We looked on the internet for directions...then we looked at our atlas.  The area is only 29 miles from us, but we haven't been over that way in the five years we've lived here. So, confident that we could find the place with little trouble, we headed to the southeast on a country road.  We were right. The house was easily found. We checked it out from the street, looking for flaws. It appears to need a new roofing in the near future. The chimney brick is looking a little crumbly at the top, which makes us wonder if the chimneys are workable and in good condition.  There are outhouses on the 4plus acres, and big trees, oaks and pines and in the rear there are apple trees, apple-pear trees, pomegranites and pecan trees. There is a double arched front door, old windows with beautiful trim, a front porch and gingerbread trim.

I know from the listing photos that the interior is intriguing. The walls are horizontal boards, some painted, some still natural wood,darkened with age. The floors are all wood...except the large kitchen, which is tiled.  There are old light fixtures, a center hall, 8 fireplaces. Oh...what a dream it would be to live in such a place...!

However, even with the updated electrical wiring, plumbing, town water, newer gas heat/air, blown in insulation, what other work might be needed?  I've always loved old houses....but in the back of my mind, I keep hearing my Dad's words..."Old houses, old problems. New houses, new problems."  Now the question is, will I heed Daddy's words as a warning, or will we take the plunge   and go for it?

I guess there's no way of knowing what lies ahead in any realm. I'm not sure that we two characters are wanting to bite off a 'project' at this point in our lives. But, I think we'll go and see the inside of the place anyway.  How else will we know if we even think we'd want to live in such an old house?  It certainly won't be the first house we've walked through, loved, and turned away from for one or another reasons. The owner is aware that we weren't even looking for a place when I stumbled across the listing on-line, so she won't be surprised if we don't go ahead with a deal.

Excuse me while I go email her.  Stay tuned.

SC Fall Days

We are enjoying the sunny, clear, dry weather of Autumn. The days are still reaching into the high 60's and the nights are nearly twenty degrees lower. We wake to frost on the grass, and sometimes even icy windshields on our cars.  But it is beautiful weather to live in! It's comfortable outside with just a sweatshirt or a light jacket.  Since I despise heavy jackets and constricting clothing, I'm grateful for this time before those days come.

I've been reminiscing about the weather back home in NY.  It won't be long before the town pond will be wearing a thin layer of ice in the early mornings. People will have to turn the cars on to let them warm up for a few minutes to be comfortable inside, and the defroster will have to be set to thaw the windshields.
The children will be standing at their bus stops and their breath will be seen in the air. It is a different type of Fall in that northern area than what we experience here.

Oh, our turn will come, too....but it is slower in arriving, and shorter in its staying.  Winter comes fast once the weather turns cold here, but like Fall, the Wintertime is shorter, too, than it is in the north where I used to live.  Here we have 2 months of cool, 2 months of cold,  4 months of warm and 4 months of HOT!   My favorite months are those temperate ones, where short or long sleeved shirts are just enough. Too hot is not my favorite, and I spend a good deal of time inside where it's cooler. The cold has a way of driving me inside, as well, to huddle with a warm cup of something, a down throw and a pair of thick socks.

It is said that' we're never satisfied' as humans.  Maybe that's true of some, but right now, I'm quite satisfied with these November days.  I hope you all are enjoying yours as much as I am delighting myself in ours!

Autumn, Not Forgotten

The corn fields stood green, not so long ago, in tall, even rows. Now, the stalks are dry and have turned to beige and brown. They lean against each other, helter skelter, as their silk waves in the cool air.  Soon they will be mowed down, chopped and tilled into the soil as organic matter, as has been done in adjoining fields.

Those mowed fields appear barren, but there is food enough there for the Canadian geese who come. Their huge conventions take place in the early morning, and again at dusk, beneath steel-gray skies. They eat their fill before taking off for ponds or nests.

They fly amid the clouds, forming deep V formations, honking as they go. They follow their leader, across the same paths, to and fro, every day until it's time for them to move on.  Beyond the brilliant leaves they go, across the miles, toward the south.

Perhaps they will come to winter in South Carolina. I hear that they do that, but we've seen them only on our friend's pond in their back yard farmland.  The geese are something hearing in our skies. We used to watch them from our rear deck when we lived in New York, but they've not made an appearance in our area.  We miss those geese!