jumping back into the fray

morning mist at Melrose

There are certain advantages to being without the use of my own computer. My time is being diverted to other things! Yesterday I did a very thorough cleaning of the kitchen (sans floor), scrubbing counters, items that sit out on counters, washing up dishes that have lingered, relocating seldom-used things from the countertops to storage, etc. The only remaining task is to clean the top of the refrigerator! I also moved a teacart from the dining area out to the pantry, in the process putting away the things that had, by default, landed on it "temporarily." It's a great feeling to declutter the house room by room and get it clean at the same time. Just don't look at baseboards!

Had an absolutely lovely time at Melrose with Mom last week. We had some gorgeous fall days and a few overly warm ones, but sweaty weather notwithstanding, it was wonderful. How can one not enjoy time that involves sitting out on a porch looking at this view? I finally got some reading done, and am now halfway through Diana Galbadon's Outlander. I did some further reading on it yesterday after my due diligence in the kitchen! And in the patting-oneself-on-the-back department, I finished the NYT Sunday crossword puzzle without benefit of Google! I have concluded that I will print out future puzzles instead of doing them on the computer--my little gray cells seem to know that help is a mere set of keystrokes away when I work it online, and I actually do better when my brain has to draw on its own resouces (and occasionally, the dictionary).

In addition to these leisurely pursuits we enjoyed several meals with our friends Jimmy and Barbara (they are the best people in the world!), and we also did some research on rehearsal dinner options and venues, selecting and securing a wonderful location on a bluff overlooking the Savannah River (see picture below). In April the view will be a bit less obstructed, and will also feature that lovely shade of new-growth-green. Now to work out the catering!

In the meantime there's lots of events coming up back here at home. Friday night my friend Clare arrives. She hails from New Zealand and will be half way through her "North American Tour" when she lands in Music City. Saturday morning we have a Halloween brunch and jewelry party (if anyone wants to order some Silpada, let me know!), then head to some friends' for the Gator-Georgia game and more halloween fun. Sunday we'll board a plane for Florida for shenanigans with other friends. At Church we're planning a spaghetti dinner fundraiser for one of our outreach projects, and holiday activities begin to warrant attention. Phew! So much fun I can hardly stand it! LOL!

And now it's time to relinquish the computer to Ken and get on with the work of the day. Hope it's a lovely Tuesday for one and all!