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When SiteMeter logged visit # 5700 this evening, I see it is from a mystery reader who just showed up in the reports on Dec. 25. This person has Sprint as an Internet provider, an ISP that begins with 204, and is in an unknown city. But the person is located in the United States, in the Central Time Zone (a lot of territory there.) Visitor uses Windows XP for an operating system and surfs using Internet Explorer 8.0. And this is no casual visitor; he or she checks in two or three times a day. Assuming you are a friend, and not a stalker, feel free to leave a comment to this post (it will be forwarded to my e-mail) or you can go to my profile (bottom of right rail) and click on the e-mail link you'll find on the profile page. Since this visitor had the blog address from the beginning, it's possible you are one of the regular friends or family members who got a new computer for Christmas. But at this time...well, #5700 is still a mystery.
Merry Christmas, all! We finally got a little bit of the White Stuff--less than an inch--that started to fall about 10 a.m. on Christmas Day. It was enough to dust the Alberta Spruce out back that gets to be a Christmas tree to greet our back door visitors this time of year.
We joined culinary forces with our friends (and pastor) Jacque and Dave for Christmas dinner this afternoon. It snowed lightly all day, and the wind just kept driving it to the east, but some landed on the grass. There were a few slick spots on the streets, but nothing serious on our route. The snow showers are supposed to persist through noon or so on Sunday. We are beginning to long for sunshine again!
We thoroughly enjoyed our Christmas Eve dinner with friends Karen and Gary, Karen's mom, and Doug and Matt in Edwardsville. We came home with the gift of a new bird feeder, and Norm hung it up on Christmas morning. As I tried to take a long-distance shot of it from the relative safety of the driveway, I realized that a goldfinch was hanging upside down on the thistle feeder next to it. We are really looking forward to lots more birds visiting our yard this winter!
Santa was really creative this year. Norm has a new pair of flannel pajamas, a warming throw to use in his recliner, and a new book about all of the national parks so he can curl up comfortably and plan out our next trip. I'm the proud owner of a new atomic alarm clock, a fashionable cardigan sweater, and a welcome mat. The welcome mat is now out, so we are looking forward to more holiday company!
Thanks to Facebook, the new international party line, we have been getting good wishes and greetings from many of my former students and various friends who live far away, from Taiwan to West Virginia. And thanks to the United States Postal Service, we have received several dozen cards and letters from family and long time friends, with their best wishes as well. We are still working on the Linville Holiday letter so for now, I'll just wish everyone a healthy, peace-filled day and evening, with safe travel if that is also in your plans. On our agenda today: listening to Christmas music, baking a pie for dinner tonight with friends, and dreaming of sunshine, somewhere....it's kind of dark and dreary here this morning.
While I can, I'll post these pictures of some of the outdoor decorations. A few days ago, the Weather Service thought we might have a white Christmas. Now the snow is out of the forecast and rain is in: two or three inches of it and flood warnings as well. The Christmas winter storm looks massive on the forecast maps but we are supposed to be on the "warm" side, or at least above freezing, until Friday morning. Of course, it could still change...
I want to salute Visitor 5600, who was cousin Mike or cousin Debi in Tulsa, earlier this evening. I can't always tell who is visiting, but I'm pretty sure you are my only regular Tulsa viewers. Although someone using a Tulsa Library computer dropped in earlier today; they were researching--you guessed it--Ft. Sill.
Last evening we had a great dinner out with our friends Mike and Sandy. We got the 2 for $14.99 specials at O'Charley's and had enough take out left to make another meal for us both this evening. Today was one of those days when I knew I had a lot to do but just couldn't get started on any of it. I blame it on the falling barometer and incipient bad weather. Tonight we went to Soul Care, a mini retreat our church has two Tuesdays each month. It was relaxing and refreshing as we shared stories of Christmas past. Tomorrow I'll brave the rain (which started falling as we drove home) and pick up some last minute grocery items at the store. I know I'm baking a pie for Christmas Eve dinner in Edwardsville, but haven't gotten the memo about the rest of the menu yet. There is still time.
We have been thinking of niece Debbie B. in Hutch, hoping she will be recovered from surgery and up and around soon. Also thinking of everyone who has travel plans and wants to get home, or somewhere like home, for the holidays. And I'm thinking of my cousins in Tulsa, wondering if Mike has the train up around the tree yet and if they are ready for the grandson invasion. Merry Christmas to our family, wherever you are this season. We love you all.
Finally it is officially winter, although it has felt like it for a while, now. We acquired this droll little snowman, a metal stand up sign, at the Compton Heights bazaar. We have no idea who donated him, but a label on the back indicates he may have been purchased at a shop in Branson. However he has traveled, we are glad to have him on our porch to welcome winter visitors!
We had an eventful weekend. On Monday, Doug e-mailed us that he would be arriving from Florida by plane on Friday night, while Matt would drive with Sam and get here on Sunday evening. So we met his plane and he spent two nights and days with us. We had a great visit with him. The three of us attended the American Chamber Chorale's Christmas concert in Chesterfield on Saturday night, and we all went to church yesterday. Matt arrived safely last evening and the three of them are now ensconced at Matt's parents' home in Edwardsville for a two-week stay in the area. Their dance card is just about full but we expect to see them again a couple of times before they go home.
Last evening Norm and I enjoyed a relaxing time at the open house that our pastor gives each year. After we got home, we sat down and opened all the Christmas cards and read all of the Holiday letters we have received so far this year. Now it's time for us to start composing our own holiday letter to send out by New Year's. This evening we are looking forward to finally getting together with our friends Mike and Sandy for a dinner out. (Nice not to have to cook...:) We hear that Heather and baby, as well as John, will be in town for the holidays and we hope we get to see them while they are here.
Our thoughts are turning to those who are struggling to be well this holiday: our friend Nancy, doing rehab in Kansas City; Norm's cousin Joe's wife Elaine, enduring some grueling radiation treatments in Tulsa; our church friend Royce, fighting off a new infection in his foot; our church friend Janice, on chemo; as well as all their families and friends caring for them. May the Christ we will soon celebrate as having been born in Bethlehem bring healing and peace to them!
Well, it only took the better part of a week, but our Christmas tree is ready for prime time! Last Friday half of the lights were on, as our friend Steve noted in a comment. Ava supervised much of the decorating until she went home with Barb on Tuesday night. I finally got around to taking some pictures today.
Many of our decorations have a nature theme, which is why it's not unusual to find a spider web next to a partridge. This year we also got out our smaller trees, one of birds and another of angels, and all 14 nativities and all 21 Santas. The next day we have good natural light, I'll try to photograph some of them. As a good friend says, don't put off celebrating Christmas. Do it all. A good motto, I think.
Norm has been fighting off a cold, but seems well enough now. My cold has all but disappeared. We see that our local Walgreens is having an H1N1 vaccination clinic tomorrow and if the snow doesn't get too deep, we may go.
That's right, snow is forecast this evening and something is making the pavement wet outside as I write. About 11 p.m. we will head out to the airport to meet Doug's plane. Then we will all wait until Matt, who is driving the Prius with Sam as a passenger, arrives on Sunday evening. Barb and Ava plan to leave for Kansas City in the morning for a friend's holiday party. So we pray for safety for all of the travelers.
I've been doing some baking--dessert for the Quilt Guild's annual Christmas party last night, and some goodies for our pastor's open house on Sunday evening. The fudge is in the fridge. Now if I can just keep the chocoholics out of it!
With the house straight and clean, most (but not all) shopping and cooking done, we can finally breathe and begin to enjoy the season. Who knows, we might even work on the Christmas Letter this weekend! Or next. Look for it between Christmas and New Year's.
Well, I think I'll go try to re-organize the sewing room while we wait for the plane. I spent part of the last week cutting strips and making fabric kits for the guild's charity quilts project, which will begin in January. All the kits got taken last night, which is very encouraging. Or maybe I'll just sit in the recliner and knit. Maybe dream of a White Christmas, since snow is in our forecast for Christmas Eve. That's actually pretty rare in St. Louis--only about 1 year out of 9 has snow for Christmas. Maybe this will be the year.
This weekend's project was to get the Christmas tree decorated. Norm brought all of the parts upstairs as well as the 4 strings of lights. By Friday he had the lights arranged to his satisfaction. I started putting on some ornaments, but the end result is still in progress. When we get it finished, I'll post another picture.
On Saturday, Norm got the greenery and bows on the front and back porch railings. The lights on the hedge in back are on each night as well. It's starting to look like Christmas around here, but there is more to come. Tomorrow is supposed to be partly sunny in the morning, so I'll try to get pictures before it turns cold and drizzly again.
Compared to the week before, this past week was a quiet one. My cold is a lot better, and Norm's scrapes from his fall have healed. Which is to stay, we don't scare people as much when we go out in public now.
Ava the golden doodle is staying with us until Tuesday. Saturday night we were having thunder and some hail (yes, even at 40 degrees and even in December--this is the midwest, after all, where in weather, just wait 10 minutes. Oh wait, that's supposed to be Oklahoma. Whatever.) Anyway, Ava got a little restless so I let her sleep next to me on the bed for a while. Later she got down and sought another spot. She is really an easy dog to have around and we enjoy her.
We are so pleased to hear that our friend Nancy S. is out of the hospital, staying at her daughter's house in Olathe, and getting ready for another round of OT and PT this coming week. We wish her all the best for a full recovery and hope to make a quick trip to KC soon to see her and John again. Between the weather and random holiday events, it's proving trickier to plan than we thought.
Sunday was the third Sunday of Advent, or Joy sunday. We had a beautiful sanctuary to worship in, and a fellowship dinner after. A woman who had just moved to St. Louis and who was missing her family visited for the first time...we persuaded her to stay for lunch and there was much caring and sharing over good food. Things that are giving me joy this week: Snuggly Ava, Norm's fading bruises, Christmas lights, a new musical CD by my friend Steve Givens, shopping lists, baking ingredients, open house invitations, Christmas cards from far away, old friends discovered and added as new friends on my Facebook page, a warm house, secrets, e-mails about holiday plans. What gives you joy?
Dear faithful readers: I haven't forgotten that I have more pictures of Florida (especially the Corkscrew Swamp) to post, but after we got home Tuesday night, the rest of the week was taken up with various errands and preparations for the church Bazaar, which was today. We are still counting receipts, and church members will have a chance tomorrow to shop one more time, but so far we have cleared over $1,000 for the disability access project. We are both OK, although I seem to have contracted my Christmas Cold a couple of weeks early (must be that airline atmosphere) and Norm had a minor tumble on the church steps today that damaged his glasses and his nose. Oh, yes, and yesterday the kitchen sink stopped up, necessitating a call to Roto Rooter, who sent a nice man to clean out the drain line. For a fee, of course. Other than that, not a lot of news here.
Sunday morning, Nov. 29--Doug and Matt took us along with them as they visited the Lamb of God Church, where some of Doug's university colleagues worship regularly. It is a new church, in the "emerging" church format. The Welcome Center out front shelters coffee and cookies before, between, and after worship. Picnic tables with umbrellas welcome people to visit and enjoy refreshments.
The church is a combined Lutheran (ELCA) and Episcopal congre- gation, one of only two in the United States. Tradi- tional services are held in The Arbor, the smaller of the auditorium spaces. This building also houses the children's program and offices. The grounds are being landscaped with native Florida plants, including some wild cotton that was ripening!
We attended the contem- porary service at 9 a.m. that meets in this building, The Vineyard. Like many contemporary settings, the hymn words were projected on screens, although there was a choir up front. Communion was open. The service had a very informal feel, but it was fairly slow paced. The greeters were friendly, and everyone wore name tags. We were approached only by Doug's colleagues, though. We met Brad and Kathleen, their three little girls, and Maggie and her son after church and headed to a nearby California Pizza Kitchen for brunch. Brad's office is next to Doug's at the university.
After lunch we came home, read the paper, and some of us took naps. I had just drifted off when Doug and Matt got back from walking Sam and burst in talking excitedly about an eagle in a tree on the condo property. So we all trekked outside to look at it. Here is the tree, with a small black spot in the upper left, with Doug and Norm in the foreground to give an idea of scale and distance.
And here is Mr. or Mrs. National Symbol, sunning in the pine near a lake. Matt says he frequently sees an eagle in this tree, and I read in a guide that Florida has more eagles than any other state in the union. They nest here and live here year round. (On Monday when Norm and I took a walk, the eagle was in the tree, on a different branch, as well.)
By now it was time to head out for the beach, to watch an evening sunset. Norm and Matt compared notes in front of the condo where Doug and Matt live. The upper room above the garage is the guest room where Norm and I are staying on this visit.
After church, lunch, eagle watching and naps, we set forth to visit a beach preserve near Bonita Springs, about 30 minutes away. We arrived a little less than and hour before sunset and waded along the shore. The Gulf was definitely too cool for (us to go) swimming although the air temperature was in the low 70s.
Because the sun was low and the breeze light, we didn't need chairs or an umbrella. We set up on one of Doug's old quilts on the sugar-fine sand. Near the water, the beach comprises small shells. The backdrop is sea grape, planted to stop beach erosion.
Incoming tide means dinner for the shore birds. Several varieties of sandpipers and plovers would run into the surf to pick up a delicacy. Then they would run back on the beach, ahead of the under tow. Another post of the various birds and plants we saw on this vacation will appear sometime next week, after we get home.
The expanse of beach shows birds and people waiting for the sunset. The buildings in the background are high rise condos. We also drove through an exclusive residential area on the way to this beach. Few homes seemed occupied. We don't know if they are unsold, in foreclosure, or if the rich northern folks who own these "winter homes" just haven't arrived for The Season yet.
A new camera with a zoom lens and a sunset are an addictive combi- nation. But I kept trying to capture the light in the water as the waves broke on the beach, showing the progress of the sunset.
Sunsets on the Gulf move fairly quickly. This one began to light up the clouds nearby not long after we arrived. For a while, a sun dog was visible and the air took on a golden hue.
As it got closer to the time the fiery cauldron of sky and sea were about to peak, it was closer to the time we needed to pack up, since the preserve is closed at sunset, or 5:30 p.m. local time. It was getting close to time, so Norm went down to the water to wash the sand out of his shoes.
All in all, another perfect ending to a lovely day in Southwest Florida. Hard to believe we have to head North again in less than a day.
Friday, Nov. 27--the day dawned dazzlingly clear. We played with Sam, went with Doug to his campus office and a tour of FGCU (another blog post to come) while Matt worked. In the afternoon we headed for Sanibel Island and the home of Anne-Marie, our holiday meal cook, for "leftovers" and more conversation with yesterday's guests. Night found us around the table, or around the living room, exchanging stories and histories and ideas. It was a good coda for a wonderful Thanksgiving experience.
Anne-Marie's condo is in a community on the bay, looking back toward the mainland. It doesn't have a beach, but it has great views and there is a nice boardwalk along the sea wall. Since night falls quickly after sunset, we all set out for a walk around the grounds soon after arriving.
Inside, the condo is light and inviting. This table expanded for our meal later. We admired many of Anne- Marie's family antiques, including wood work done by her father. 
This intricately carved harp is one of those wood pieces that he created.
The walk around the bay took us by a number of boats and some people who were fishing. The cloudless day looked warm, but the breeze was actually little bit cool. It wasn't a day for wading.
In some parts of SW Florida, it almost looks like the great recession never happened. Some of the neighbors have some really large boats. These would be able to travel the intercoastal waterway.
On the bay side of the condo we saw a lot of pelicans, and Doug walked out on this fishing pier with the cars on the toll bridge from Ft. Myers zipping along in the background. The water was choppy but pelicans fished in it anyway. (Photos of pelicans and other birds coming in a later post, as well.)
We returned to find some of our dinner companions deep in conver- sation. People who had never met before found many experiences, traditions and even places they had lived in common.
NIcole is Anne-Marie's sister. She came not only to visit, but to consult on how to make the stuffing for the turkey! She is head of a special collections library at a large university. We loved hearing many of her stories about living in Europe. Anne-Marie, whose photo didn't turn out, is an art historian at FGCU.
Hamdesa is a conflict resolution specialist. He has traveled widely to study causes and remedies for conflicts, and teaches at another university in South Florida. His home country is Ethiopia.
Kathy teaches at FGCU and also studies the role of communi- cation in conflicts. She enjoyed holding the smallest guest, a 6-week-old baby girl, while her parents got to mingle with everyone else.
Anothoer FGCU faculty couple are the baby's parents, Sachiko and Farshad, who met as grad students in Carbon- dale, Ill. Japan and Iran are their home countries. With all of this international and national experience, topics ranged far and wide. One thing we all agreed on: the leftovers were even better the second day!
Not long after sunset it was dark, and then we were all feeling sleepy, so it was time to bid farewell and head for the mainland again. Some out of town guests would leave on Saturday, others on Sunday. For all of these faculty types, there is still one week of school, followed by final exams and a lot of papers to grade!
Happy Post-Thanksgiving (I hate the term black Friday) from Ft. Myers, Fla., in plant hardiness zone 10, which is to say, the sub-tropics. Although it did get down in the 40s here last night. We arrived about 5 p.m. EST on Wednesday after an uneventful (except for a few bumps at 29,000 feet over the Florida panhandle) non-stop Southwest Airlines flight. It has been 2-1/2 years since we visited Doug and Matt, and the vegetation around their lake in the center of their community has really grown. Although it was cloudy on Thanksgiving morning, the sun came out in the afternoon and the sky cleared. This is the view, facing east, from their lanai (we midwesterners would call it a screened porch.)
This table was set in anticipation of 13 guests. Matt ironed the tablecloths. Doug printed personalized place cards. Their space is very adaptable, even if there is no dining room. An open great room makes for varied entertaining possibilities. In addition to us, the guests were all colleagues of Doug's at FGCU, from a variety of departments. On Tuesday, Doug and Anne-Marie shopped for groceries and picked up the fresh organic turkey. On Wednesday, Anne-Marie and Maggie did a lot of pre-prep for the big day. They were ready to leave as we arrived.
Thursday afternoon, the kitchen was a veritable beehive. Matt kept washing up pots as Anne-Marie (left) carved the turkey and Kathy and Nicole dealt with something on top of the stove. Doug and Anne-Marie's son Simon supervised, a lot.
The final result: a toast to friends and things to be thankful for, before heading for the sideboards to fill our plates. With turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, asparagus casserole, green beans, brussels sprouts, whole cranberry sauce, rolls, and four kinds of pie (pecan bourbon chocolate, apple, banana caramel and chocolate) everyone had plenty to eat. And the leftovers will go to Anne-Marie's house on Sanibel Island this afternoon for an after-feast from the same crew!
This is the second year that Doug's kitchen has been comman- deered ably by Anne-Marie, who loves to cook and has a kitchen too small to cook for a crowd. Although Doug is also a fabulous cook, he seemed really pleased to let four of his best friends do the Thanksgiving dinner. The meal was amazing, fresh, wholesome and above all, delicious!
Norm and I were going to have dueling cameras, but he put his down so I could take my picture of him first. He is enjoying leisurely morning walks around the condo complex with Sam as a companion. Yesterday afternoon I took a walk with him, too.
Sam and I stayed out of the kitchen, mostly, although Sam did make periodic trips through to check for crumbs and other goodies. On Wednesday night when we arrived, Sam gave a brief bark and then broke into wiggles and grins and he spent most of Wednesday evening on my lap, as though he had missed me the whole four or five months since we last saw him, in May in St. Louis. His thanksgiving scarf came from his groomer, who also wrote his name in day glo puff paint on it.
The guest room faces west and is very cozy. Norm and I have no trouble feeling at home and we sleep really well. This room is also the music room, since Matt moved the piano in here on carpet after the downstairs neighbor complained about the "noise" not long after they moved the piano in. The guest room is over the garage, so the neighbor doesn't get the vibrations while he's trying to sleep in the daytime. On Thursday afternoon Simon played Chopin for endless hours it seemed, while we were waiting for dinner. Then Matt took over and played some of his original compositions that are in his head, although he says he will write them down, someday.
We are so thankful to have some time to savor the Gulf air, relax, and have meaningful conversations. Soon enough we will be back home and busy with Advent and Christmas events, hustle and bustle. For now, we are looking forward to a field trip to Sanibel where we can walk on the beach. We brought sunscreen, hats, and beach shoes. We are ready!
My sofa-throw-sized quilt, "Let Freedom Shine," is going to be featured at the Compton Heights Christian Church first ever bazaar on Dec. 5. There will be a drawing at 4 p.m. that day, and if you are interested in tickets (only $1 each,) please e-mail me (the link is in my profile near the bottom right of the blog page.) The blocks were made by members of my quilt guild in July 2007, and I managed to get them sewn together this past winter, and it was my first large-scale machine quilting effort this summer. I did finish it in the nick of time to put it in the Guild quilt show in September. The bazaar will feature hand-made gifts and ornaments, imported fair trade gift items and fair trade coffee, tea and chocolate, some other trinkets and treasures, and baked goods. It will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 5 at Compton Heights, 2149 S. Grand Blvd. in south St. Louis. Y'all come!
As I recently wrote, I'm now trying out Facebook, the social networking site. So far I have 32 friends, who really ARE friends from different walks of life: my high school, my church, former students, and family and neighbors. It strikes me that Facebook is a modern party line--some of us are old enough to remember the distinctive rings that denoted which neighbor was getting a call. All you had to do to learn the news was pick up the phone and listen in, discreetly. With Facebook, you just log in and see who has done what since you last looked. Amazing.
As for this blog, Home Stories, it is not going away. But I am always amazed at the search terms that bring newcomers, probably for only one time. The two most popular search terms for 2009 so far are "Indian Camp" or its variant, "Indian Camp Creek" , and anything having to do with Ft. Sill. Little did I know when we visited in June that I was writing about a place that seems to draw interest all over the country. So now you know, faithful regular readers, what the outsiders are looking for. At least it's not orgies--a term I once used loosely in connection with flowers, I think, and that brought a lot of lookers for a while!
There's no way to take a picture of rain at night...but right now I'm hearing it fall. We might have 2-4 inches by Wednesday. The two weeks of sunshine and upper 60s that started November were very welcome, but it sounds like October is back!
Norm spent the week off and on vacuuming and blowing leaves around; on Saturday Raymond and a friend of his came to finish them off. Now there are about 40 soggy bags around our two houses, waiting for Wednesday pickup. And a big soggy pile out back by the compost pile, destined to become mulch! I noticed this week that daffodils are already peeking through along the driveway, so they will need that mulch pretty soon.
Our tuneful winter visitors, the white-crowned sparrows, are here. I heard one calling the other evening, and then came face to face with it in the vines along the garden fence on Saturday, as I was picking the rest of the tomatoes ahead of the rain. We have about a dozen that had turned color and will ripen enough to be frozen for soup or chili. I gave most of the green ones to Raymond's friend, since he likes to fry them. We kept a few greenies to try the recipes Carol and Jan suggested.
Ava stayed with us Tuesday morning through Friday night while Barb was out of town on business. She is really calming down now that she is an "adult," as she was 2 back in October.
Norm got his crown on his ailing incisor that finishes the root canal saga. So far, all is well. Thank goodness for dental insurance! (It paid about 50%).
Elaine, wife of the Linville sibs' cousin Joe, is in our prayers as her treatment will enter a new stage after Thanksgiving, or so she writes in her CarePages updates. We pray especially for her doctors, and for her peace of mind.
We also are thinking good thoughts for, and praying for our friend Nancy S from Colby. She is in a hospital in the KC area and will start rehab on Monday for a stroke she had a week ago. Nancy is the person most responsible for Norm and me getting together over 41 years ago. Get better soon, Nancy. If the weather holds out and we can clear a schedule or two, we hope to drive over to KC this week to visit her and John.
Last, but not least, I finally broke down and joined Facebook. All of my friends keep up with their grandkids this way; there is a group for our church; many of my former students are there; family members are there; much of my high school class is there; my next-door neighbor is there; so now I have another way to procrastinate from doing any real work. If you are on Facebook, look me up and if you want to be my friend, you can send me a request. Tonight I discovered some of my friends are becoming friends with each other! Will it ever end? First a blog. Then three blogs (one of which I neglect terribly.) Then twitter, which occasionally alarms me. Then a new cell phone that can send text and photo messages for a pittance compared to my old service. Now it's Facebook. What is next? Hmmmm.
Hope everyone has a good week. Stay dry (and if you are in Western Kansas, stay warm with all that snow.)
For about a week, the maple basked in the sunshine and to stand beneath it was to be surrounded by gold.
By Thursday, Nov. 5, the leafy branches were thinning, but the color was still good. I took this photo that day from two back yards away, and got barked at by my neighbor's three dogs for my trouble. As the weekend warmed, the leaves began to fall anyway.
A view from our front walk, up the neighbor's driveway, shows how huge the tree is. Since it's not on the street, it is kind of a hidden treasure. We have been working on planting bulbs in the front wall beds, and tidying up the perennials for winter.
Our mighty oak in front has lost almost all of its leaves, and Norm has composted a lot of them. Every year, a sweet gum ball sprouts in the crevasses of the oak's massive roots, and grows a little tree. This one turned a lovely shade of red, and contrasted nicely with the gray bark.
I was so amazed at how many leaves covered the driveway and yard in back, despite all the leaves still on the maple, so I took this picture on Nov. 5, too. Well, less than a week later, today almost all of the leaves are off the tree, and there are ankle- and knee-deep drifts of golden leaves all over, including our northern neighbor's yard. He likes his yard neat so he has been doing a lot of sweeping and raking. Norm is working on our pile with a new leaf blower/ vacuum we bought Saturday at Home Depot, after the old one flickered, gasped and died. By the end of the week, our friend Raymond will probably come and finish them off.
Tomorrow we will get a visit from Ava, who will stay until Friday. Barb is going to KC and Wichita. Doug and Matt went to Baltimore this weekend to see friends and celebrate Doug's birthday. One of these days, we just might go somewhere!
