Few and Far Between

It's pretty much Christmas crunch time isn't it? I'm, of course, way behind schedule. Then too, we have company coming soon. Like tomorrow afternoon, sister Carol, along with her dear husband Hank, arrive from California for the night. Monday morning they are driving over to Melbourne to visit friends which is perfect because, not only do I have my luncheon date with the young woman I mentioned in my last post, but the kitchen designer from Earls is coming for dinner Monday night. She is in town to go over all of the kitchen equipment with Bruce and the fabricators. Speaking of Earls, here is a pretty neat interview with the president talking about Earls being voted the number one place to work in Canada!!

Friday, Tom and Matt arrive for nine days! We've not seen them in over a year now, so you can imagine our excitement. How we will spend those nine days is yet to be determined, however, I know some of it will be spent cooking. And opening gifts, and visiting family. Hopefully shopping too as I've been stymied on what to get them for Christmas that is both nice and easily portable! Carol and Hank will be back later in the week, although where they will be staying is also yet to be determined.

The Christmas cards are sent, or in today's vernacular, holiday cards. Is it impossible anymore to call something by what it really is? I think so. Looks like I'm not expecting a whole lot this year by the looks of my display.

Haha--the truth is, I could not find the ribbon I used in the past, so making do with what I have! Speaking of mail, when did actually using people's titles go out of fashion? Was I sleeping? For the life of me I cannot understand what is wrong with using Mr. or Mrs., especially when people go so overboard with weddings. To be stubborn, and on occasion I can be, I use them liberally. :)

In other house news, I may not be using my Christmas bunting in my booth this year, but B made sure I could see it at home.

Lacking my normal discipline, I have spent more time at my sewing machine than is probably wise. Before leaving for Kentucky I'd started a dress, which I only got around to finishing this week. As well, I've been helping Pam with her project, mostly advice, and lending my machine for quilting. She soon will have her own walking foot, but for the moment, she's using mine.

Before getting on this quilting kick, Pam spent the majority of her time gardening. In fact she's a garden legend around here, even more so in my book now, as last night we ate some of the last of her broccoli for dinner. Oh my, I've never had homegrown broccoli, my most favorite vegetable, before. I may be spoiled!

Except, it has been so darn hot that her plants are pretty much toast now. Today's high--82 degrees. At least I've finally been able to turn off the air conditioner and open a few windows, something I thought just wasn't going to happen this year. Couple that with unseasonable rain, and this fall has been anything but fall-like.

The last few days, however, it has been beautiful with clear blue skies. I even got out and did a little Christmas shopping yesterday afternoon. Don't ask me why they were there, but a flock of seagulls were hanging out in the parking lot.

For several weeks now, my bicycle rides have been mostly non-existent. Either I start a project early and don't want to stop, or the weather has been bad. Finally, though, I'm back at it ,which means that there will be photos of Christmas displays! I knew you were just dying for that yearly feature, weren't you? I'm pretty much loving this "groovy" door.

A visit to Sue's house is always inspiring what with all her vintage collections, which include Christmas stuff as well.

Mr. Fox joins Santa and a Florida flamingo...

This little snowman sported way more color than the photo shows...sort of like Joseph and his coat of many colors.

But the really big news around here is that our neighbor Herb has gone into a nursing home. It was just heartbreaking seeing him getting into a car Thursday evening, probably never to return to the home he's known for the last 50 plus years. Only last week, Corrine turned 90, but in many ways you would never know it as she is still sharp as can be. Her body, on the other hand, is showing wear. I spent some time with her yesterday morning learning all about what precipitated Herb's children finally realizing he was way more than she could handle by herself. While I was there, I asked for a photograph, which she approved after I took one without her smiling broadly!

Please note she still does her own nails!! We were actually chuckling because she'd only just told me how Herb would sit up nights watching the Spanish language channel into the wee hours of the morning. I told her that if someone had told him a few years ago that he would be doing that, he would have never believed them. In this last year his dementia has gone from being so-so, to really bad. Bruce recently found him digging through the big garbage can by the curb, looking for his glasses. I asked Corrine what she thought was worse...losing your mind or losing your body? She think losing your mind is the worst and she should know! You will also notice how she is all spiffed up with nowhere to go. :(

I had a long chat with Angela yesterday afternoon and she's sinking with grief, something she'd tried to assuage with decorating. If you are the praying kind, please do keep her in your prayers.

Naturally when I take a trip, I take a load of photographs, only a few which I share in this space. Don't ask me why, because Kentucky is behind us, but I really felt like sharing one more from the Elder farm that I'd kept back due to photo overload in that post. Mules, as it turns out, are quite pretty.

What with all the upcoming activities, my posts, I suspect, will be few and far between, however, I may not be selling photography at the moment, but I'm sure not getting out of blogging! As a matter of fact, it may surprise newer readers that this blog began when I was an adult student attending Valenica College in the daytime with mostly young folks. Add to that, I became quite ill for a year and a half, so instead of folks calling me and having to listen to my complaints, I got to write about them! I can't tell you how happy that both of those things are in the past.

Looking to the future,

Gail

p.s. Fallon and Bill became officially engaged this week!!