Hot, Humid Mess

After the fog lifted yesterday morning, the sky eventually turned blue. Oh, but that was only for a few moments, and then, like some days we've had in the last week, it turned into a gloomy, hot, humid mess. The leaves are falling like mad from our big Laurel Oak tree out front, covering the walkway, the front porch, and the street. Add to that, it rained yesterday afternoon and you get the picture. Plus, although this isn't my Chinese Tallow tree, ours is beginning to look very similar.

 The mess was not only confined to the outside of the house--the inside, although not wet, was messy and humid as well. Gift boxes were stacked high on my work table, alongside a variety of gifts. The dust ruffle, which I washed on Saturday, was in a pile on the bedroom chair, waiting for Mr. Bruce to help me lift the mattress, Clothes from Sunday--yikes! I do not do well with disarray so, I set to making some sense of it all.

Once things were more to my liking, I went to get our tree. My Christmas tree buying excursion was unlike the gauzy kind you see on television. First off, Bruce was too busy to go with me, and then there was the hot humid weather to deal with. Add to that, the Russell Home for Atypical Children Christmas tree lot was completely empty when I arrived. Fortunately, the lot is super close, so after finding no trees, I went back home to get a check. As I walked in the door, Bruce, taking a moment away from his work, called out--"It was that simple?" Why no, it was not. Next stop was the Boy Scout lot in Pine Castle--locked with three stubby trees leaning against a chain link fence. Hmmm....I had to resort to Josario's in the shopping center parking lot.  Because it is so warm, I'm wearing a sleeveless dress, the worker is wearing grubby shorts and a t-shirt,  with multiple tatoos up and down his extremities, greasy hair, along with some teeth issues. Ever seen that in a television commercial??? Because the sky was so gray, the massive tent was dark, so much so that I suggested he might want to turn on some lights, allowing potential buyers to actually see what they were buying, starting at a minimum of $50. That was another thing that really bugged me--when I asked him how much the trees cost, he said every one was different. Really? Not by size? "Oh no, he said, if you buy one that has some bare spots, you get a discount." Really?

Nevertheless, I got my tree, carried it in the rain to the back yard, plunged the trunk into a bucket of water, and after dinner Bruce wrestled it into the stand in the living room. Seems like most years Bruce has been super busy around Christmas, so I have purchased trees by myself, but one thing that gives me fits is getting it into the stand. Thus, he performed that task so that I can do the decorating in his absence which will extend to Friday. I have placed the angel atop the tree, as well as one strand of lights; the rest will come this morning. Hurray for a live Christmas tree!

Speaking of trees, every few days I've gone back to look for the eagles. Mostly no luck, but one day I saw this one flying away:

Perfect form right? In that same neighborhood yesterday I saw a terrific spider web, covered in dew.

The beauty and wonder of nature never fails to delight me! Is it any wonder that male Northern Cardinals are so popular, sporting their beautiful bright red feathers, which brighten any gloomy scene?

Because I had so much to say yesterday I left out a few things that I wanted to share. My friend Brandy, using some of her really great marketing skills, set out these little gift bags for everyone who came into her FAVO space--brilliant!

By evening's end, all of the bags were spoken for. I wish I'd thought of that!

Last week I visited Nordstrom;  their decorations, as always, are so classy I have to share them with you.

Plus, as you probably already know, they refuse to put them up before Thanksgiving, unlike most stores which are practically decorating for Christmas the day after Halloween!

LOVE that store.

While we have Christmas decorations on our mind, how about this one seen on my bike ride?

Unless you are a tennis pro, there really is no excuse for this kind of wreath. Or at least in my mind there isn't!

Here are couple more to my liking:

What do you suppose is in those boxes? 

Now we're talking--a good old fashioned display!

Old-fashioned, nostalgia, whatever you want to call it, is such a powerful force in my life. Perhaps that's why I like to buy used furniture, not unlike what we had while I was growing up. While eating dinner last night, sitting at the new/old kitchen table, thoughts about how many meals have been eaten on that very same surface by people with stories of their own ran through my mind. They always say, "if walls could speak", why not a table? Angela, with yet another household problem, was over to use my washing machine. When she saw the set, she nearly gasped, saying that it looks nearly identical to the one she had while growing up. With the quality of most furniture being made today, that will most likely be a saying of the past. Here today--gone tomorrow.

As I gaze out my office window I see morning has broken; although, after checking the weather, a girl can hope for a finer day can't she? Last evening, the humidity was so high, we gave in and turned on the air conditioner, which just doesn't seem right, now does it?