Leaving Georgia: Our Once and Future Home

Home again, home again...jiggity-jog. We loaded up the cars and headed north on I-85 on Tuesday. We had enjoyed a wonderful vacation in Lawrenceville, but it was time to return to HPNC. Still, while I was ready to be back on our own little bit of soil, I am missing GA already. One foot here...one foot there. More on that topic in a sec.

First, a few snaps from the ride home:

The top/bottom pics of Abbie and Winston riding shotgun are fairly self-explanatory. They spent the whole five + hours switching places, front to back. Actually, didn't blame them; it was 95 degrees outside, so the AC felt good, especially since Winston seems to ride better with the windows down a bit! The middle pic of the three Droolers might need a sentence or two as a guide. Can you see that the pound puppies are tethered to the car? That's the only way I can manage them at a rest area. At least, that way I know they can't go dashing off without dragging the PT Cruiser with them! And can you see that Duche$$ is trying to get back in the car, rather uncharacteristically on her own? She's finished her business...and apparently sees no reason to dilly-dally about any longer. Head 'em up, move 'em out!

While in GA, I had the opportunity to rekindle some relationships that had gone semi-dormant. We've been gone from the Peach State for almost three times as long as we lived there, but it felt like we were back in the fold in many ways. And that's a good thing.

Many of you have asked "so, where are you going to retire?" As we move through the Retirement Red Zone, we ask ourselves that very question, too. And my answer usually is somewhat vague, along the lines of "wherever Missy M lives." Now that our only child has moved to Georgia, I think we can change our response to a less-vague, more specific "why, Georgia, of course!"

That question and answer exchange is followed closely by "so, when do you see this happening?" Ah, now that's the $64,000 question. "Not any time soon!" is much too flippant. Our best answer...if asked today, Mr. T's birthday...is "probably 3-4 years from now." We shall see.

So renewing old friendships feels right. After all, we will need them in our once and future home.

Winning and Losing

Now, where did August go? I seem to have lost most of a month. I know it was around here somewhere.

Too true, right? While August is my personal least favorite month of the year...mainly because it is typically too hot to enjoy much outside...I hate to see any month fly by. And this one has certainly flown by at supersonic speed.

Probably the reason it seems to have done a runner (as they say in the UK) is that I have been out of pocket for a couple of weeks, visiting Missy M in GA. As you probably recall, her pups, Ella Rae and Dixie, have been with us since Easter...keeping them safe from the hectic process of packing and moving to her new home in Lawrenceville. Since the fence was in place and the doggie door installed on Abby Grace Drive, the time for them to meet their new home had arrived. 

To sweeten the deal, Missy M scored some ATL Falcons tix for a preseason game 8/23. And since we had long ago (pre-move) planned a trip to Atlanta for a Labor Day Braves game, she said "Mom, why don't you just stay the whole time?" Don't have to twist my arm to travel, now do you? Load up two cars...and five dogs! Road trip!

Knowing I was going to be back in the Duluth area made me bite the bullet, so to speak, and schedule an appointment with my dentist. Yes, Dr. S is STILL my dentist, even though we moved away from GA to FL 12 years ago this month. What can I say? When you find a dentist you love, you want to stay with her, right? Up until a couple of years ago, I just made my semi-annual appointments to coincide with business trips to ATL, and it all seemed to work well. 

Then came Bell's Palsy...and then came the resulting synkenesis that causes muscle spasms in my left jaw, especially when I open my mouth wide or for a long period. Like when you are at the dentist. Bite the bullet, indeed. Groan. 

But I am happy to report that I made it through the appointment without a single spasm. And the X-rays showed NO CAVITIES. Clean teeth, healthy gums, and NO CAVITIES. Did I say happy? I meant ecstatic! Win!!

Of course, I had to put my bike riding on hold somewhere near Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky, losing valuable days. But, I rediscovered walking in the early morning hours, mapping out a couple of routes that got me 1.5 miles daily. While I'll never make it to Disneyland at this rate, I can easily do 30-40 minutes before I start experiencing any of the ill-effects (numbness of my left foot, etc.), that walking causes me, and by throwing in a few stretches for flexibility I can keep in garden-ready shape for my return to HPNC. Big win!

Also, I got to renew acquaintances from our time in Georgia (the five years between NC and FL, in the roadmap that has been our life): lunching with friends and former co-workers (like with KH at Sweet Melissa's in Decatur, pictured; and with JL at the Village Tavern); checking out personal faves like The Yarn Garden in Lawrenceville and Nordstrom at Mall of Georgia (pictured); and making some new friends along the way (more on that in my next post). Win-win-win!

Although Mr. T had to work the first week, he was able to schedule vacation days for the second week...and joined me and the five dogs in holding down the fort while M went to work. I did some unpacking in the kitchen (it will be years before M finds some of her stuff!), and he concentrated on bringing a desk/bookcase combo "vision" that M had to life. Here are some pictures of the final assembly and reveal:

So, while the Falcons lost their game and I lost most of a month, M gained a beautiful...and useful...statement piece in her great room. And I kept moving forward and reestablished my connection to the Atlanta area. Methinks that may come in handy...sooner rather than later...

More wins than losses, for sure! Now, keep your fingers crossed that the Braves are in the W column after their game tomorrow. Toes, too!

We're Back in the Swing of Spring!

The Rhododendron is in the Swing of Spring!

OK, folks. Enough of this sickly, invalid business. I'm ready to get the party started again!

Yes, I feel better. Back issues subsiding. Vertigo lessening. And I'm sorely tired of gabbing about health problems. (Probably not nearly as tired as you are about having to read said gabbing...:)  Let's put the adventures back in The Adsit Adventure, how 'bout it?

Anyway, we have stepped it up a notch around Casa 3917 in the last couple of weeks. To start Mr T's vacation week off right, we took in our first Greensboro Grasshoppers game on the 6th, enjoying a double-header with the Lexington Legends, hot dogs and mustard, our great seats, and excellent fireworks.

We then donned our finery...including a hat for me (see photo, below)...to celebrate Easter Sunday, ending with brunch in style at Graylyn in Winston-Salem.  Question:  doesn't anyone wear a hat for Easter anymore?  I saw only three others the whole day...and two of those were on children, one on a little boy! I do NOT wear hats myself (for good reason, as you can plainly see...:), but I make an exception at Easter.

Desserts...and fab coffee
at Graylyn's excellent
Easter Brunch

In my Easter bonnet...
at brunch in Winston-Salem

Second order of bare root roses from David Austin arrived...
6 hours, soaking in the tub before going in the garden

Where we have been planning and prepping the new Rose Garden in the Way Back, we now have planted 34 new rose bushes [28 so-called English roses (left) from David Austin; 6 hybrid teas from Roses Unlimited]. By "we," of course I mean Mr. T.  He digs the hole, then uses the Mantis(tm) tiller to break up our rock-hard clay soil (photo, below)...incorporating lovely leaf mold (from all those leaves we salvaged from neighbors' curbs last Fall and composted all winter...:) and  Moo-Nure^® . I come along to add what we call the Secret Sauce: a mixture of bone meal and Epson Salts (which aren't really a salt at all, but magnesium sulfate...great for growing strong stems)...and water 'em in. We then add another layer of leaves as mulch around each bush. We have 6 more roses just arrived from DA in a box on the front porch to go in this weekend, weather willing (as well as three more crabapple trees going into the Orchard). Three more hybrid teas are coming from RU in early May. And that should be that for the roses and the fruit trees. (All who believe that, stand on your ear, as Momma would have said...:)

Mr. T with the Mantis in the Rose Garden.
(See the ones from Order #1, planted in the foreground.)

Paver patio at 10'x4' in Rose Garden...we're half way done!
(See the beginnings of the
Bluebird Bistro in the center.)

Finished: 10'x8'!  Now, must cure
for 72 hours.

Let's go to Atlanta!

Momma Bluebird bringing home breakfast
to the babies.

More importantly, we finished the new paver patio in the Rose Garden (photos above) last week when Mr. T was "on vacation." (Right. More about that in a sec.) Anyway, after a day of grueling construction work (done almost entirely by him, with me bringing up the rear of measuring, staking, sweeping and finishing with the polymeric sand), and waiting the required 72 hours to allow the sand to set between the pavers, he hauled the new teak glider out of the garage where he'd assembled and stained/sealed it, and we immediately found our new favorite spot on our property. We relocated one of the birdbaths and a hook with two feeders to a spot in front of the new patio, planted some perennials like delphiniums, yarrow, and thrift, along with some Spanish lavender (hey...I've tried English lavender without success in the Way Back...trying something new)...and we christened the spot The Bluebird Bistro, as it's about 15 feet from the fence with two active bluebird houses (photo, above/left). I cannot begin to describe how happy I feel when I'm there. It's like Mr. Bluebird is on my shoulder. It's the truth...it's actual...everything is satisfactual!  Zip-pa-dee-doo-dah!

"And that one is outta here..."
Go-ahead homer puts the Braves in the lead!
Tomahawk Chop!!!

I'm also happy to report that this vacation hasn't been all work and no play. Missy M also took the week off work, motoring down to NC on Easter Sunday. She took charge of the meals, keeping us yardeners happy. While she was here we got a sitter for ALL FIVE DOGS (God bless Miss Jan!) and headed the car down I-85 to Atlanta for a couple of days. Mr. T and I (and 50,000 of our closest friends...including President and Mrs. Carter, too...:) had tix to Opening Day for the Braves on Friday the 13th (photo, right)...which proved to be a lucky number for them, as they beat the Brewers in a battle to the last inning. Then, before we left town on Saturday, we managed to take in Ikea, Nordstrom Rack (can you say "new shoes?"), and a fav knittery in Duluth called Rare Purls. Well, M and I enjoyed that last one...:)


Yes, better health is contributing to more happiness in my universe. But I would not be telling the whole truth if I left out the tears that fell last week as well.

As I have said, this past week was looming as a mountain for me. So many milestones, so many memories. Daddy's birthday was April 11th...he would have been 89, if he hadn't passed away on April 12, 1990...and he was buried on Easter Sunday. Momma was also an Aries, and she would have celebrated her 92nd on April 14. As this was my first year without her, I imagine you will understand when I admit to having shed more tears on Saturday than on the other days of that week.

Sidney's Memorial Mimosa (in the cage)...
and a yellow iris (flag)

Of course, I can't really think of either of my parents with sadness for too many minutes...and I'm guessing that's progress on my part. In memory of Daddy, we transplanted a volunteer Mimosa sapling to a spot behind the new paver patio...right next to a bright yellow iris. A mimosa, you ask? Who plants a mimosa? It's an inside joke: Daddy...raised in the city and never the green thumb that Momma was...called EVERY tree a mimosa 'cause that was what he used to park under in our back yard in Henning. And the iris? Well, he used the old-fashioned name for it, calling them "flags." And, you guessed it...every tall flowering plant was a "flag."

And what better way to celebrate Momma's birthday than to go to a Braves game...and cheer them on to victory?! She was smiling on us that day...:)

Yes, everything is coming up roses...and mimosas and flags...here again. Swing, batter, batter...swing!


======>>>>======NOTE=======>>>>=======:

I have added a bar on each post that allows readers to SHARE the post on Facebook, etc. See it, right there below this info? (I have no control over the size of the tiny things...at least, none that I can discover...:)

Also, there is now a blue, Facebook LIKE button for the entire blog...see it there on the upper right column?

Hang on, folks...we're moving forward with a bullet!

Marching Through March

I know I've sung this song before, but where has this month gone??? 

Since I last posted, I headed my PT Cruiser (known as a "Peety" to other PTC drivers...:) Miss Lillie Pearl south on I-85 for a work-week in the Big Peach.  It was absolutely beautiful in Atlanta, with nearly everything wearing Spring finery:  redbud, crabapples, azaleas, and Bradford pears...all at the same time!  Of course, you know what comes with all those blossoms:  p-o-l-l-e-n.  More on that in a minute.



Shopping!  My fav Jo-Ann's in Duluth, GA

 As usual, I packed as much into one week as I possibly could.  In addition to client sessions, I scheduled a dentist appointment (yes, I still go to Dr. Tatiana Shifrin, the same wonderful dentist I went to when we lived in Duluth...:), and some personal time for catching up with old friends, one of whom introduced me to a new-to-me Cuban restaurant called Havana South in Buford...thanks KD!  I made it to my favorite craft store, Jo-Ann's Super Store in Duluth, (photo, left) where I found some inspiration...and a fantastic bin of buttons, which had been marked down drastically.  I love a bargain bin, don't you?


Ooh la la! LaMadeleine's in Duluth, GA


I got to eat at one of my favorite restaurants, La Madeleine Country French Cafe, in Duluth.  I used to eat at the one in Dunwoody at least once a week when I worked at SEMA Group Telecoms in the Perimeter area, and it was always my choice for my birthday lunch (when the Boss was buying with her company AMEX card...:).  Everyone else wanted McCormick and Schmicks or something equally as pricey.  Me?  I wanted the Tomato Basil Bisque, a freshly tossed salad (like the Mediterranean...which was a special), and fresh breads with butter and house-made jams and preserves...not to mention the luscious dessert selection (just like in the photo to the right...:). 

You know, there is a part of me that misses living in the Atlanta area, still...after all these 9 years.  That is, until I tangle with the infamous traffic.  Then, I'm just happy for the wonderful memories...and glad that I now live somewhere else a tad saner.  Our I-85 is not nearly as crazy as their I-85.

Because of a last minute reschedule request, I found some time on my hands on Thursday, so I thought I'd  devote a few hours to retail therapy at the Mall of Georgia, including a substantial block of time at Nordstrom's and Nordstorm's Rack.  By Wednesday night, however, I began to realize that the sore throat and congestion I'd been trying to ignore was NOT a result of my earlier visit to my dentist.  When I started sneezing several times an hour, I had no doubt.  They're backkkk:  Spring Allergies.  Oh dear.

Instead of shopping, I spent Thursday in bed, dragging myself out only to go to Walgreen's down the street for "reinforcements."  That included additional Benedryl (which make me sleepy), some Allegra-D (which doesn't make me sleepy), a new bottle of Nyquil (for the night-time miseries)...and a couple of Krispy Kreme donuts at the drive-through location next door.  You know..."take two of these, and call me in the morning."  Ahem.  Having the Tigers get knocked out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament (which is indeed wacky this year...:) certainly didn't help my disposition one little bit.  I managed to get up and out to get my work done on Friday, but I realized I'd have to put my departure off until Saturday.  That was a tough decision to make, for many reasons...not the least of which was that Bro J and SIL J were in NC for the weekend, and I'd miss some precious time with them. Sigh.

I made it home...just in time for my "allergies" to morph into some sort of upper respiratory infection, complete with fever for three days.  Poor Mr. T.  He'd already been responsible for Nana's care while I was gone, and now he had another patient on his hands.  Good grief.  Still, I was able to dodge the bullet of vertigo (always a fear...), and I got to read several of the China Bayles mystery series (I'm not sure what rock I've been under these past 20 years...how did I manage to miss this delicious series by Susan Wittig Albert for so long??), so it wasn't all bad.



21 (Karat) Gold...
...Finches, that is!

 I'm happy to report that we've all survived and are getting back to normal this morning.  Well, if you can call this morning "normal," that is.  We awoke to find snow falling as we started the final week of March!  Too warm to stick, thank goodness...but unusual for sure.  Of course, it was just a year ago that the Big Tornado devastated a nearby portion of HPNC...so, I'll take a soft snowfall any day.  We also noticed that all of the bird feeders were being well-visited, as you can see from the number of goldfinches (photo, left) under the squirrel-proof feeder (where there were three more birdies on board!).  They didn't let a little snow stop them.  Neither did Mr. T, who is off to NJ for the work-week.

Nana/Momma/Edith has actually had a fairly good week, health-wise, but she received a personal punch this morning.  We learned that her good friend and traveling buddy from Pickerington had passed away last Saturday. Eileen had been quite ill for a long time, so the news wasn't a shock; still, it was sad nonetheless.  She was a sweetheart and will be missed.  This makes the second of Mom's Ohio friends to die in recent months; her other good friend and traveling buddy from Pickerington, Thelma, left us at the end of January. As you can imagine, Mom feels each and every loss very deeply.

Me?  I feel great today compared to the last few days.  But because I missed one week to work and then pretty much slept through another week, I am so far behind in everything that I'm feeling overwhelmed from the get-go.  Last week, I couldn't even pick up my heavy Master Gardener training binder, much less focus on the lessons, so now I have several chapters to read and complete assignments...before class begins on Wednesday morning.  I also have a volunteer activity scheduled for Thursday. 

I decided that we need some comfort food today to help us feel stronger, so I pulled out my recipe for Ham and Veggie Bean Soup.*  It was a favorite of my dear Daddy's, who liked it so thick that it was hard to still call it a "soup." More like a chowder, I'd say. "Thick enough to hold the spoon upright."  After years of trying to make it thick enough to satisfy without having to mash all of the beans into mush, I finally learned the secret:  add 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes just before serving!  What could be easier?  I'll serve our soup with hot Garlic Cheese Beer Biscuits and some apple slices.  Yummm!

Check out the recipes below when you need a bowl of comfort, too.  And remember, one foot in front of another...


==========================================================
*Ham and Veggie Bean Soup
 
Ingredients:
 
1 cup dried navy beans
4 cups water
1 T. butter (more or less)
1 ham steak (about 8 ounces), cut into small cubes
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onions
3 whole peppercorns
1 clove (whole)
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed (I also use fresh, when I have it)
1/2 tsp salt (I use Paula Deen's House Seasoning instead)
1 can chicken broth + enough water to equal 4 cups
1/2 cup seasoned mashed potatoes



Directions:
 
1. Soak beans according to the package, either overnight or using the One Hour Shortcut method (which is what I do).  Be sure to drain the soaking water off the beans before you cook them again in 4 cups of water to soften, prior to assembling the soup.



2. While the beans are cooking in a Dutch oven (following the soaking period), melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.  (I also add some bacon grease for flavor.)  Lightly cook the ham steak cubes.  Then, pushing the ham to the side of the skillet, wilt, but do not brown, the onions, carrots, and celery until tender, stirring occasionally.


3. Add the ham and vegetables to the beans in the Dutch oven; add the seasonings, the chicken broth (or stock) and enough water to cover by 1"; heat to boiling.  Boil for 1 minute.
4. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 1 1/4 hours or until beans are tender.

5. Remove the bay leaf, the whole peppercorns, and the clove. To thicken the bean mixture, crush a few of the beans with a potato masher; then, stir in seasoned mashed potatoes, about 15 minutes before serving.

6. Cover and simmer 15 minutes longer or until soup is as thick as chowder.


Serve with hot garlic cheese beer biscuits, for a real tasty treat. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Garlic Cheese Beer Biscuits


Ingredients:

2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup grated sharp Cheddar
3/4 cup beer (or slightly more, if needed)
1/2 tsp garlic salt, more or less
1/4 stick butter, melted


Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, (1 tsp salt, opt.), and sugar together using a fork; cut in shortening until it resembles cornmeal. Add cheese. Stir in beer all at once, just until blended; add enough beer to form a soft dough. Do not over-stir.

Using an ice cream scoop, fill well-greased muffin cups to 3/4 full. Brush biscuits with melted butter which has been blended with garlic salt. Bake for 10-15 minutes.



Enjoy!

Back Home After a Brief Pause

You know, it strikes me as funny.  When I was in Missouri, I mourned for my life in Georgia.  (Nevermind Florida...we weren't there long enough to know whether we liked it or not.)  Now that I'm back in North Carolina (it'll be a year later on this month, can you believe it?!), I grieve for neither MO nor GA.  I'm perfectly happy right where I am.  I don't want to be any place else.

However...

I do still enjoy my "real" job.  I know, I know...I haven't mentioned my work lately.  With good reason.  My coaching business has taken back seat to my caregiving activities, especially since the summer of 2004; then, came all of the move-related activities of last year...and then the 90th birthday party activities of early 2010.  But, my job...as a leadership development coach and consultant...requires me to make a few trips back to ATL each year.  Until '09, each one of those trips was hard to complete, since I just wanted to stay instead of getting on that return flight to STL.  Now...I hop in Lillie Pearl, point her south on Interstate 85, and pop in my latest Audible.com downloads.  Usually, after a week, I've touched base with my clients, taken care of some personal care details, did a little retail therapy, completed a few books and a knitting project or two, and am ready to return to HPNC with joy in my heart.  Happy to be back on the road home again.  The little break helps remind me of what I love to do...and gives me renewed energy to do what I am committed to doing "at home:"  ensuring that N/M/E's final years are comfortable and as easy as possible.

But, the trips are getting harder and harder to complete as planned.  Try as I might, I can't seem to anticipate all that might happen while I am away.  This time, even though strong support was in place (thanks, AW!), a nasty stomach virus still slipped through the de-fence and found a home with Mom.  We're still trying to get that under control.  Sigh. 

Ah well.  I did get to finish a few books enroute to-and-from.  Love my iPod!  I had downloaded Agatha Christie's The Third Girl, read by Hugh Frasier; Knitting by Anne Bartlett; and Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton.  Finished two of the three.  May have to wait for an upcoming jaunt to Raleigh to finish the third.

And, I was able to complete a scarf (dropped stitch pattern) and get started on a pair of socks (chasing cables pattern) while away.  I'll download some photos next time.  I'm currently on battery power, sitting outside on the deck; missing my camera and its cable for downloading the pix.  Love my wireless connection!

And, best of all, Mr. T motored down from working in Columbia, SC, to join me for the brief pause in our lives.  Yes, we needed that bit of a pause.

Out here in the sunshine, with all the roses starting to bloom, it's difficult to imagine all the devastation that's happening to friends and relatives in TN.  As far as I know, all are safe...although not all have power restored yet.  I'm glad to see that the Red Cross has made it easy for us to donate toward the assistance folks will need to restore their lives to normal.  If you can, be sure to take the easy way:  using your cellphone, text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation to help with the flood disaster.  You'll be glad you did!

Home Again, Home Again...Jiggity, Jog

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, let's see what that one of Lillie Pearl PT Cruiser is saying over there (left). Hmmm...

Obviously, she's parked in front of the Homewood Suites. Yep, she took me to ATL last week...hooray, hooray! I no longer have to fly to my favorite work destination 3-4 times a year. I can now drive, as it's only 5-6 hours...Interstate 85 all the way. Some of you might be saying "only" 5 hours?? But those of you who have to fly regularly probably understand: with the increased security measures increasing the "wait" time at airports (remember, you have to get there an hour ahead of your scheduled flight...and that doesn't include drive time to the airport, parking your car, or hopping the shuttle from the Parking Spot, etc....and, of course, there's the baggage retrieval and rental car experiences...:), a two-hour flight can end up costing you 4-5 hours to get to your final destination...and you are exhausted.

Driving yourself? Hey, you are in charge of your own schedule and itinerary...start when you want, stop when you want, and, best of all, you get to listen to your latest book-on-CD (I enjoyed "The White Queen" by Philippa Gregory and "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie, read by Brit fav Hugh Fraser...which I downloaded to my iPod, along with all of my favorite podcasts from Cast On and Car Talk...:), if you are fortunate enough to have an MP3 port (which LP does). Oh yeah...much better.

While you can't tell it from that photo, I arrived in ATL on the day after The Big Storm. You probably saw it all on CNN or the Weather Station. Rain water everywhere. News reports of death and destruction. Bridges washed away. Roads impassable. Homes destoyed. Schools closed due to flooded buildings. Unbelievable. What is barely visible in the pic is the reminder of what is necessary in the aftermath of such a deluge: those vehicles in the upper left? All commercial cars with logos from Safeco, Nationwide, and Farm Bureau Insurance companies, along with one from Independent Adjusters. Happy to see they are johnny-on-the-spot. Fortunately, the sun shined every day I was there, so they were drying out and cleaning up by the time I left on Thursday.


Of course, my ATL trip was for business...but I work in a little shopping where/when I can. Who wouldn't? Only...where most people might head to Buckhead for the fancy shoppes, I check out places like JoAnn's Super Store in Duluth. Hey...I never said I could lay claim to being a Big Spender.

I came away with some Halloween/Harvest/Thanksgiving decorations for my new front porch. Since major Druid Holidays are not exactly my cup of tea, I have almost NO scarey items and only a limited number of seasonal specialties, including some 20-25 year old Caspar-like ghostie wind socks for the porch lights on either side of the door. The creepiest item we have is a spooky songs cassette tape (which tells you just how old it is...:) which we play...if we can find the only working cassette player we have.

Anyway, back at home now. Mr. T located the Halloween storage boxes in the attic, so I decorated the house this weekend. He said "for someone who says she doesn't like Halloween, you sure have a lot of Halloween items, dear." A lot? Nah. I've just done a good job of grouping what I have...dear. Took a picture of one of the Caspar wind socks on Saturday...sent it to Missy M, as these things have been hanging around (literally) since she was a child. Her response? "Mom...it's not even October yet, and you're putting up the Halloween stuff already?"

Well, it might not be October yet, but it is feeling like Fall around here. I took N/M/E to the doctor yesterday, and between the time we left his parking lot and I came out of the pharmacy with her prescription (20 minutes...max), the thermometer dropped from 86 to 66 (as a swift moving storm-front dumped 1/2 inch of rain on us)! Today? In the sixties, after dropping into the mid-40's last night!

To get in the mood for the change of seasons, I've had a pot of Autumn-smelling potpourri on the stove for a few days. I put some orange peels and lemon rinds in a pot of water, add some cinnamon sticks and whole cloves, and let 'er boil. As the water reduces, I just add some more to keep it from going dry. Then, every other day or so, I add another cinnamon stick and/or clove or two. OMG...smells heavenly. And, Fall-ly.

Mr. T and I were glad we had gotten our Fall planting done on Sunday: 210 new daffodil bulbs (including King Alfred, Ice Follies, and Tahiti), 20 new iris rhizones (several different varieties of purple iris), and 10 new daylilies (two new varieties called Blueberry and Chicago Comanche)...along with dividing and relocating countless daylilies from around our front yard. We'll be so happy with the results come next Spring...which helps us deal with the achy-breaky backs and knees this Fall...tee hee.

Snow...and FO's

It's a Snow Day in STL! We got nearly 7 inches of the fluffy white stuff yesterday and into the night...our heaviest snowfall this season. The dogs are alternately crazy-nuts about leaping and bounding around the back yard (remember, Basset Hounds are pretty close to the ground...:)...or, they don't want to get off the deck and get their bellies (or other important parts) wet. Mr. T has worked hard to keep paths clear for them, but at times the snow was falling faster than he could sweep.

Here, right...Mr. T sweeps off the Solar Light Bird Feeder on the deck so our feathered friends can get a little breakfast. The rest of the feeders in the back yard are covered in snow, with only a few assessible...and it seems that every bird in the neighborhood showed up for the buffet this morning. I counted 9 male (red) cardinals in one area...with numerous house finches, purple finches, sparrows, titmice, "snow birds," woodpeckers (3 different kinds), and grackles. The squirrels and the bunnies are quite active, too, trying to share in any feed that has fallen to the ground.

And, check out the photo of the deck below, left! We won't be sitting out there any time soon, will we? Also, it's hard to tell...but that's a photo of the bridge over the fish pond, right...both of which are covered in snow. I sure hope those fish will make it through this.

It's a perfect day for a cup of hot tea, lots of lemon and sugar...the warmth of the fireplace...and the click of the knitting needles! I'm currently working fast & furious on my Minimalist Cardigan (pattern in the Fall 2007 Interweave Knits magazine) in deep red Cash Vero DK on US6's. I've finished the back and the left front...working on the armhole decreases on the right front today. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a sleeve going by the end of the weekend! I've also been working on M's "Harry Potter Third & Fourth Year Scarf" from the Charmed Knits book...a great take-along project, as I am knitting it on circs like the First Year scarf (the finished one of which went to Mr. T, who is wearing it with regularity, much to my delight).

I took advantage of my business trip to ATL earlier this month, to have some quality knitting time (no dogs!) to finish a couple of pairs of socks: (left) the Panda Cotton red ones with the colorful "Fruit Salad" toes and heels are a Valentine's gift for Mom; (right) the multi-color Sockotta stripey ones are for moi. The center photo shows a cabled hat in Wool Ease Forest Green Heather that I knitted for SIL J in Nashville...her birthday is next week. The pattern is called "Jack's Cabled Hat" from the Knitting Pattern-A-Day Calendar Box that she and Brother J gave me for Christmas. I peeked ahead to March 31st...but I thought the name of the pattern sounded appropriate...and the yarn just begged to be cabled! I hope she will enjoy wearing it. I will get moving on a pair of blue-hues for Missy M soon, using some of her Yarn Pirate sock yarn.

Thank goodness for the calming effect of knitting. It's been a tough month around our house...one that I'm happy to say "so long" to, without a doubt. We've all been battling some "-itis" or other (sinunitis, bronchitis, etc.), plus I've had a re-routed root canal (originally done 5 years ago...had to be re-done...ow...) and re-emergence of my old nemesis, back pain. A trip to the Out Patient Surgery for an epidural cortisone injection has eased that last problem...at least for the moment. Fingers crossed...toes, too...that I'll only need to go through that just once this time (instead of the customary series of 3). I hope, I hope, I hope...

Anyway, my flight back into the STL airport was from yet another direction (north by north-east to the southwest?), so I snapped a fuzzy photo that shows the curve in the Mississippi above the city...can you spot the Arch in the haze to the right-top of the pic?