Leaves

I like November. It has much to recommend it.
We get an extra hour of sleep.
It’s still Autumn. The foliage, while muted, is still beautiful.
It includes one of the neater holidays of the year, Thanksgiving.
The days and nights are cooler, making it easier to work and to rest.
Another thing about November is leaves. I’ve done a rake twice at Dixon and started on Edgewater this weekend. I couldn’t get the big lawnmower started, so have done everything by hand so far, filling up the truck twice.
Clumps of soaking wet leaves started to kill the grass, as I feared, and their tannin gets on everything, clothes, hands.
I’m going back today with my electric mower to try to clean up the rest.

I Tried

The camera hates me. Always has, even in my younger days and now, with bags and wrinkles, I look in photographs like someone whose face has been pushed through a glass door.
People have criticized me for years for being camera-shy, so I gave my phobia about being photographed a run for its money by booking two appointments on the first of this month: one with a photographer and one with a makeup artist.
As a result, I do believe that the old adage about silk purses is absolutely true.

Better

Woke up to rain – good news, since I didn’t water the bulbs planted yesterday. Bad news, since I didn’t mow at Edgewater yesterday.
Busy one today: dropping John off for chemo, appointment with Amy, stopping off at Highfield to help with a mailing, job interview, going to UMass Law School at 4.

21 Days

Getting jittery about my trip to California in THREE WEEKS.

The flights and the cottage reservations have been booked and paid for.
Since my flight out is at 6:30 am, just reserved a room at a hotel near the airport for the night prior that offers up to two weeks free parking and a complimentary shuttle.

Candy and I did some clothes shopping yesterday, and I think I’m pretty well set there. Got my ears re-pierced.

Ron called to see if I was interested in having Thanksgiving dinner with friends of his, which is great – I get to meet some of the people he cares about, and no cooking, maybe just some clean up, which is easy.

I am off on a couple of secret errands today, which is probably why I’m so nervous right now. I’m way out of practice with “girl” stuff.

I’m worried about Mr. Fluffles. I’ll be gone for 9 days.

Yard Work

Mowed the back and the sides today at Dixon. Leaves are starting to fall. Did some more scraping at Edgewater.
Added some cute decorations to the gardens, 90% off at Christmas Tree Shop.
Dropped in to see Laurie and all the kids at their annual Halloween party.

Gardener’s Diary

Not much doing this week other than a good rainstorm yesterday and some cleanup after the window installers. Still getting tomatoes.
Have been doing bicycle crunches and already notice a big improvement in how my back feels when I get up in the morning.
Working on scraping paint at 11.