A Snowglobe Christmas

We had a surprise gift late Christmas night--snow! When I woke up yesterday there was over an inch on the ground and it continued to snow lightly all day long. Although the roads here are not safe when there is any ice at all, and even though I still had to go to work, it has been just beautiful outside and I find myself repeatedly drawn to the windows to look. It is beginning to melt today in sunny spots, even though it is bitterly cold outside. I think the high today is 38F, with strong winds and tonight a near-record low of 18F is expected--and the winds will continue. The wind chill is expected to be below 0! We're getting real winter weather for the holidays this year!

We have discovered a new (to us) band this Christmas...Pink Martini. I bought Husband a copy of their new release "Joy to the World" for his stocking after he heard them perform live on NPR and thought they were awesome. It's a holiday album, but in addition to some traditional carols that you might expect, there is a Hannukah song, a Chinese New Year's song, and other assorted surprises. Our favorite is "A Snowglobe Christmas". It features a steel guitar! :)

"...and when the snowflakes fall among the Douglas fir
it's like a snowglobe Christmas and we're living in a perfect world
of trees............and harmony.........
I'm there with you
you're here with me."

Our very own snowglobe yard!

Merry Christmas!

Just rushing in quickly to wish everyone a merry, joyous Christmas! May your hearts be full of warmth, joy, love and peace!

Solstice Day

It is finally here-solstice, or the point of the year when the darkness reaches it's pinnacle, and the longest night arrives. After this week the light will slowly begin to return, but for now the sun seems to "stand still" in the sky, and the darkness holds sway.

Today I am doing the last bit of shopping for the holiday (mostly food items) and some last minute house cleaning. Then I plan take Ginger for a quiet winter walk late in the afternoon. It's a cold, cloudy day here that feels right for the season. Almost everyone in our neighborhood has decorated their yards and porches. Despite the cold I love walking around and looking at all the lights as the sun goes down. After it gets dark, I plan to mark the longest night by lighting candles all over the house and keeping a warm fire burning in the fireplace. It's a night to gather around the hearth with loved ones and enjoy the warmth and light we can create for each other.

Happy Winter Solstice to all! May the returning light bring you hope, joy, health, and happiness in the upcoming new year!

Ready or not...

I can't believe how cold it is here. Last night was 26F with 20-30mph wind. Brrr! That's pretty chilly here in South Carolina, esp. so early in the winter!  Tonight is supposed get down to 19F, and tomorrow to 17F. Although I am dreading the power bill next month, I have to admit I kind of like this. It really feels like the holidays are here when it's so cold outside. I love our new fireplace (the first time we've ever rented a house with a working one!) and getting cozy with my knitting and a glass of wine while the wind howls outside. I sure hope this early cold means we'll be seeing some snow this year! Last year we got a couple of inches one night, but it melted away by noon.

Snow for Christmas would be nice, but that hasn't happened since 1989. I remember exactly because that was the Christmas day that my dad's father died suddenly of a heart attack. Although it would bring back some sad memories for my family, I think enough time has passed that it wouldn't be so bad. I' m not counting on it, though. I was 14 (!!!) when it happened last, so I don't think the odds are all that great!

I am officially very behind on holiday preparations. Tomorrow is my last day off until Dec. 21 so I must get some cleaning and shopping done. I am not by nature a shopper, it is not something I enjoy, and I always seem to put it off for as long as possible. This year since we're not buying lots of gifts it shouldn't be too bad.
My two biggest shopping problems are what to get my dad and father in law. They're tough ones to buy things for. Besides that, it's just lots of drudge work....cleaning the house, making lists, planning meals, and shopping for those meals. Since this is our busiest time of year at work, I don't have much energy left when I get home, and I've been procrastinating on making the holiday happen. I have a feeling I'll be paying for it for the next week if I want to have a celebration at all this year. Thank goodness I don't have kids! Then I'd really be in trouble! :)

That Winter Weather

I have a song stuck in my head this morning (I am prone to earworms!) thanks to the unseasonable cold that has descended on my part of the world:

"I love that winter weather,
so the two of us can get together.
There's nothing sweeter.....finer
when it's nice and cold,
I can hold
my baby closer to me
and collect the kisses that are due me.
I love that winter weather
'Cause I've got my love to keep me warm!"

My apologies to the the singer, I was too lazy to go check out who to attribute this to. A few years back this was on the holiday CD that we played at work. So now it's spinning endlessly in my head, and probably will be for the rest of the day. Oh well. At least I like the song!

We really have had some serious cold weather for early December. It has been well below freezing for several nights now. A couple of those nights got down into the teens. When I took Ginger out for a walk yesterday the wind was up from the east and it felt like ice against my face. Between the bitter cold and the long nights, I am finding that all I want to do is crawl under the covers of my warm bed and sleep for long hours. I've been falling asleep early and staying asleep 10 hours or more every night. I am dreaming more (or remembering my dreams more) and I wake up groggy, which is unusual for me. I suppose it's an inborn urge to semi-hibernate.

We are in the middle of the advent season after all, the season of waiting for the light to slowly return. The time to gather around the hearth, to tell stories and dream. The time to draw closer to those we love, and to wait for the light together. And to bring some of our inner light into the world.

Yesterday morning I saw some squirrels out in the bitter cold, digging in the ground looking for food stashed away and not having much luck. I felt bad for the little guys, so when I went to the grocery store later in the day I picked up a big bag of roasted unsalted peanuts. Before dark I went out and scattered them in the backyard. This morning I peeked out as soon as I woke up, and three squirrels were having themselves a feast! It gave me a warm glow to make life easier for them this time of year, even if they are just common neighborhood squirrels.

I also bought a box of food for our local food bank at the grocery store yesterday (they are a donation site with premade boxes for $5) and I have been trying since thanksgiving to buy a box each time I do our household shopping. It's a small thing to do when we have so much, but small things added together can do great things!

How do you share your inner light with the world this time of year? Does the winter weather inspire you to bring warmth to others?

The Season Approaches!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here! Last week we bought a 7 foot live tree and it makes our house smell amazing! It's all decorated with shiny silver and glass ornaments, white lights, and my bird ornament collection. I plan to post some pictures later this week.

The weather is certainly cooperating to make the season feel authentic. We have had near record low temps the last few nights (15F this morning) for this time of year. Brrr!!!! It has been nice to curl up by the fireplace after work with a glass of wine.

Speaking of work, it has been especially stressful for the last week or so-I found out someone I trusted and liked was being dishonest and I had to fire her-but I am trying not to let it ruin the holiday. I spent a few days feeling just awful about the whole situation. Then I decided that it was time to move on...this person will have to deal with her own conscience. Mine is clear. Although I feel bad that she is now unemployed at Christmastime, she put herself in that position. I really had no choice. And now I hear that she is angry with me, and blames me....I guess it's easier than blaming herself. She is not the person I thought she was. I suppose we're better off without her.

Back to the holiday season....Husband and I have decided that we are only going to buy minimal gifts this year for immediate family. We're going to take some of the money we save and make a donation to Doctors Without Borders and our local food bank. We have so much, that we don't need more "stuff" to enjoy the season. Our house is decorated, the Christmas cards have been sent....we're planning Christmas morning brunch with my parents, and a New Year's Eve oyster roast with friends and coworkers...and our respective work holiday parties....we don't need lots of gifts to make our season bright!

30 Things

I was tagged in a facebook meme by a friend of mine and decided it would make a great "get to know the blogger" post. Here goes!



30 Things About Me


Write 30 random things about yourself and tag 20 people, including the person who tagged you!

1. I once had a paying job raising and socializing baby parrots.

2. Spring is my favorite season, possibly because I am a March baby.

3. I am an only child. I wish I had siblings.

4. I played the flute for 6 years growing up, and in high school did the ultimate nerd thing for a year-I was in marching band.

5. I hated high school.

6. I am afraid of water. Death by drowing is my ultimate nightmare.

7. Green is my favorite color.

8. When I was in college I had a secret dream to join the Peace Corps. I still might one day.

9. I love to garden, and herbs and heirloom tomatoes are my favorite things to grow.

10. Lilies are my favorite flower.

11. I like British comedy.

12. My husband used to be a professional drummer. I am in awe of this. I cannot even learn to hold the sticks properly to do a basic drumroll.

13. I taught myself to knit, though.

14. When I was a teenager, my dad and I once discovered a dead body in a parking lot. True story.

15. I love (and need) to spend lots of time alone.

16. I don't watch tv. Haven't for years.

17. My husband is my best friend, and a really cool guy.

18. I am fascinated by Chinese history (esp. 19th century) and culture. I think I must have been a Chinese peasant in a past life.

19. Really Meg? Thirty? This is hard!

20. I love love love to read. This has been the case since I was 5 years old and first started to learn.

21. I hate pretentious people.

22. I like seafood, and could eat nothing but various forms of bread for the rest of my life, and die happy.

23. I want to take a long vacation one day to explore the Pacific Northwest. Hopefully within the next few years.

24. I am not afraid of spiders, but mice make my skin crawl.

25. I watch a lot of foreign films.

26. I make a mean strawberry daquiri.

27. I like to cook, but hate to clean up afterwards (and I make a mess).

28. A bird is sitting on my shoulder as I type this.

29. I truly believe in karma and the principle of reaping tenfold what you sow.

30. The madness stops here! I'm not tagging anyone!

The First Thanksgiving

Last night marked the third anniversary of the evening I arrived home from work late, with bags of Thanksgiving groceries, and discovered a puppy hiding under a chair on our back porch.

I wasn't exactly thrilled at the time, either.

Husband and I had lost a beloved Cocker spaniel a few days after Christmas the preceeding year, and were still grieving. He was the sweetest, gentlest little old man in the world (he was almost 16 when he died). I had been nearly overcome with grief. We vowed it would be a "long, long time" before we got another dog. We were worn out, emotionally and financially, from the strain of caring for an elderly dog. Not again, not for years, we decided.

Then came the following Thanksgiving Eve, and we were living out in the country, and apparently it's common practice out there to "drop off" unwanted puppies. This was a slightly scrawny, appromoximately 6 month old female, obviously used to people, that just "appeared". What kind of jerk abandons a puppy on Thanksgiving Eve? How heartless can someone be? Actually, it turned out to be the best thing they ever did for her. After about a month of looking for a good home for her (to no avail), it became obvious that we now had a dog. :) That Thanksgiving puppy was none other than.......Ginger, of course! What a great gift she turned out to be. She is a wonderful dog. A Thanksgiving Blessing, disguised as a little unwanted scrap of a dog.

Taken Thanksgiving day, 2007

Happy Anniversary little girl! We love you!

The View From the Window

This is the what the trees in my backyard look like as seen from our bedroom windows.

The bare tree in front is a black walnut, which did not produce many nuts at all this year. I wonder if they are like pecan trees, in that they have "off" years regularly. I grew up around pecan trees, but this was my first experience with a walnut. I immediately noticed a slight difference in the foliage from a pecan, in that the pattern of the palmate leaves seemed...slightly different. As though they were placed in more circular patterns and the leaves seemed ever so slightly rounder. I had hoped to gather some walnuts this fall, but the few that we saw on the tree this summer seemed to just disappear. I imagine the squirrels got some. There was a momma squirrel this year that had a big nest in the walnut tree and lived there with her two babies. I believe a hawk killed one of the youngsters, but the other is still around and likes to run along the top of the privacy fence with Ginger bounding along below. They play together, which is kind of funny to watch. My crazy dog has squirrel buddies!

The perennial herb garden that I've planted seems to be doing well. The herbs that were in pots have perked up some after getting more room in the ground. I gave them a good layer of mulch and they seem to be reveling in their new beds despite the cold nights. I was able to finally plant my strawberry plants that had been living in pots for two years now. I think I will grow some edible flowers among the herbs next summer...such as nasturtiums. I also would like to buy some huge containers to plant various mints in (I don't dare put any mint into the ground with the other herbs...mint is always a bully!) I would also like to find some different varieties of sage to plant. I could start them from seed and have a great selection, but perennials take forever to grow out! I want plenty of herbs by next summer!

Speaking of herbs, I am so glad to have lots of rosemary that survived the move, and plenty of sage as well. Thanksgiving is almost here, and I love sage and rosemary with any roasted meat, potatoes, and mixed with real butter. This year Thanksgiving will only be me, Husband, Ginger, and Marco so I have not decided what to cook yet. I would like a simple, but special, meal for two that won't be too much work...any ideas? Suggestions?

The Comforts of Home

Yesterday was a perfect autumn day here in my little part of the world. Chilly, damp, overcast, but with bright piles of leaves everywhere and trees still sporting plenty of their autumn finery! A perfect day for curling up with a cup of coffee, my knitting, and an NPR podcast to listen to on the computer. I am working on a tiny hat for a coworker's baby girl. It's a gorgeous hand painted merino yarn, in sock weight so it's taking forever to finish. The bamboo needles I'm using look like toothpicks! But it's going to be worth it. The merino is super soft and the colors remind one of the beach...soft blues, sand, and coral. Perfect to match the baby girl's big blue eyes! 

I love days like that. Even though the sun is out this morning and the colors outside of my window look brighter in the sunlight, I love overcast winter days when the urge to hibernate comes over me. A good book, knitting, warm drinks, comfort food all enjoyed in a cozy house...these things make me feel content.

I did take Ginger for her morning walk, and captured a few photos of our street right now. We had to duck under the slide at the park to escape the rain one time! Thank goodness it only lasted a few minutes.

Hectic

What a week! I went back to work from vacation, only to find out that my boss was coming into town in three days. So my first days back were loooong...12 hours or more preparing. Then my mother in law called...and invited herself (and her husband) to spend the weekend with us! Now, I love my MIL but I detest last minute company. So we had to immediately start preparing for her arrival. Then to top it all off, my assistant at work called me last night to tell me that a temporary holiday hire had showed up to work drunk. Sigh. So I had to go back to work last night, fire the lady, and then work in her place. (This took away cleaning time I had counted on to get ready for the MIL!)

Now I have to work a half day, race home, finish cleaning, and go grocery shopping. Company will be here by 5:30 pm. Then I have to work the entire weekend, while entertaining, because I didn't have enough notice to get the weekend off.

Needless to say, blogging (as well as everything else) has had to take a backseat to the chaos that is my life right now. I had a great vacation, but now I need another one!!!

Backyard fun

Ginger loves this time of year. She thinks raking leaves is big time fun...because she chases the rake! She dances around, jumps forward, backs up, runs in circles, and dives into piles of leaves with a big doggy grin on her face. She also loves to chase squirrels. I swear a few of them know her now and purposely play with her! I don't think she would ever hurt them. She just loves to chase the little rascals! Lately they have been digging holes and stashing acorns in the back yard. If she sees them bury one, she will go immediately dig it up. I'll bet the squirrels hate that!

Oh, to have the carefree life of a well loved dog!

Winter is here

We are getting an early start to winter this year. November has begun with temps at night dropping down into the 30s after chilly, drizzly days. Tonight we should be getting our first frost.

Husband and I have been on vacation this week. The camping trip did not work out (too wet) but we've had a great time relaxing at home and tackling home maintenance stuff we usually put off. And I got my herb garden started! It's not much to look at yet, but this spring it will be nice. So far I have planted lavendar, sage, feverfew, rosemary, thyme, and strawberries.

The color here is at it's peak right now. I will post pictures at the beginning of next week.

Happy Halloween!

This is what Halloween looks like at our house! We had a few trick or treaters last night, and I imagine we may have a few more tonight as well. Just inside the open door on the right, in the foyer, Husband set up a coffee table with a mosaic pumpkin candleholder, several gold mosaic hurricane candleholders, and big bowls of candy. The candlelight sparkling through the mosaic glass made our candy table look magical! We got lots of oohs and ahhhs. Since only a handful of houses were giving out candy we were very generous. We gave each child a good handful of treats! We had mixed miniature candy bars (Reece's cups, Kit Kats, Almond Joys, Whoppers, plain Hershey Bars), Nerds, Laffy Taffy, and Tootsie pops.

My favorite trio of trick or treaters? Scarlett O'Hara, a Ninja, and a toddler Bear. Sooo cute! We also had a Mummy show up that was pretty cool too. I do hope we see a few more kids tonight! We have plenty of candy left over and after all, today is Halloween!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday, full of magic and mystery and fun!

The slaughter begins...mwahaha!

Today is the day.

The pumpkins on the porch are going to the join the great pumpkin gods in the sky.

Pictures to follow!

Houseguest for All Hallows

We have a tiny guest that has taken up residence in our main bathroom. It's a small brown spider that has built a tiny web in a corner by our shower. Some people would be horrified and would do her harm immediately, but not me. I have an odd sort of affection for spiders, and consider one showing up good luck to us as long as we show it hospitality!

 I have been a fairly serious gardener for the last ten years or so, and I learned early on to love the beautiful, intricate webs the garden spiders spun. Early dew on late summer/early autumn mornings made the webs sparkle like diamonds, and it's hard for me to imagine how anyone could not admire a creature capable of building such a thing! Some of the spiders themselves were beautiful, too. I've seen spiders with all manner of colored stripes, dots, and markings. And daddy longlegs are just downright cute, in my opinion!

Of course I know that some spiders can be dangerous, or even deadly. Actually, all spiders are dangerous and deadly! That is what makes them such a friend to gardeners, since they can really knock back some insect populations that would otherwise feast on our precious gardens. That's some earth friendly pest control for sure!

One of the things I love about my husband is his respect and care for animals, even the kinda scary ones like our little guest. Just this morning after his shower he came to inform me the little spider was actually in the shower today, probably getting a drink. He was careful to not let her get sprayed with water, since he didn't want to drown her. He did suggest that I help her to "move along"  today since it's warmer and rainy outside. He has respect for spiders, but isn't totally comfortable with one living in our shower! So I will help her to pack her bags and go. Maybe she can live on the outside of the front door, where there will be a bit of shelter for her to build a new web. And possibly send our home blessings in return for the care shown her.

It's almost here!

Halloween is almost here! How exciting! I can't wait to begin this weekend's festivities!

This was an apple head doll witch I made one year. She looks like she has a big grin on her face!

I had a truly inspired idea today for a jack o lantern stand. I have an old perch of Marco's that only needs to have the perch part taken off, and you have a big silver tray on a stand! It should hold one big pumpkin and a couple of small ones. It should work great, and best of all, it's free!

Tomorrow I have to do some shopping. First I plan to do some browsing in a craft store, as I should be able to get a few last minute decorations at a discounted price. Then I need to go replace the candy I ate! :)
I will post pictures of any goodies I may find in my browsings!

Ghosts of pumpkins past part 2

Since I can't seem to figure out why I can't post more than 1 picture at a time on Blogger, I am going to continue where I left off on my last post.

Here is a goofy fellow that lived out his brief life on our mantle last Halloween. The skeleton candleholders are out again this year.

The ghosts of pumpkins past

Since Halloween is almost here, it seems like a good time to revisit pumpkins that lived out their brief lives with us in the past. May they rest in peace!


Oh, no...I can't seem to post more than one picture at a time. So I guess I need to go see what the issue is with Blogger.(I'm still new to this.) The ghostly quartet will have to be the only photo for now. It was a hastily carved last-minute idea that I took from the back of one of those cheap pumpkin carving kits.
Although I've done much better carvings, these guys still make me smile. Boo!

The light at the end of the tunnel

I am one tired blogger today. Work has been bearing down on me. This week I will probably put in close to 70 hours, which doesn't leave much time for anything at all. I love my job. I love the people that work for me. But I need a break! Halloween will be a truly special day this year...because it is the beginning of my much needed week off!

Husband and I will probably go camping for a few days during that week. I am so looking forward to it! There is a campground beside a river that is only about 15 miles from our house. Although it is close to home and not as exciting as some camping trips we've taken further away, it will be super easy to pull off without planning overmuch. If we forget something (or need to come home and feed Mr. Marco!) we can be here in minutes. This will be Ginger's first camping trip so we actually prefer to be closer to home, in case it doesn't go well and we need to bring her back. It's a nice place, too, even if it is nearby.

The park rangers cut up fallen limbs into firewood and stack it neatly into woodpiles at each campsite. Free firewood is a good thing! It's never very crowded. There is a beautiful wooden walkway built over the river (and through the woods, haha!) that we love to explore. It will be nice to build a fire, roast weenies, and do some stargazing. It will do us both a world of good to get away for a few days. We love to camp!

We will of course put off leaving until mid week. Halloween is going to be fun in our new neighborhood, and I wouldn't miss it for anything! We will probably go mid week and stay two or three nights. Husband's birthday is the following week so it will be an early birthday celebration for him. And late October/early November is when we have our peak of fall color this far south. The nights are chilly (mid 50's) and the days are warm (low 70's)...perfect camping weather! I can't wait!

Wordless Wednesday~ The Huntress Moon

One lovely surprise!

I had a wonderful surprise waiting for me this morning! Rue from Rue and Hyssop (one of my favorite blogs!) gave me an award! I am touched. Thank you so much. This made my day!

Confession time

I knew that I was doing something wrong. I was even kind of sneaky about it.

I tried to deny what I knew in my heart would happen. I abandoned reason and common sense and vowed that this time, this time, I would have the fortitude and willpower to overcome temptation. Well, my friends, I'm here to come clean. To confess. To bare the ugly truth. I did it again.

I bought my Halloween candy two weeks ago and I've eaten it all.

Mid month update

Seasonal quote:

"I'd rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion."
-Henry David Thoreau

It's been a beautiful month so far. We're getting some real color in the trees, the neighborhood is filling up with fall/Halloween decorations, the air is crisp and cool, and the sky is that deep lovely blue that we only see in October. Last night the crescent moon looked golden and the stars were bright in the drier autumn air. It's so nice to be outdoors this time of year.

The birds seem happy that the busy summer season is over. There are house finches that live in our yard that raised 4 clutches of babies this summer. Now all the young adults flutter around the camilla bush and the Bradford pear tree by our kitchen window, singing and preening all day long. They were all born (hatched, rather) in the old birdhouse that sits on a post by the window. We watched mom and dad care for babies all summer long! They did a good job, and now they have created their own small flock.I am so glad they have decided to stay around!

I've been up to my ears in work lately.  (Hence the scarcity of posts!) I haven't had a complete day off in two weeks. We are setting Christmas displays at my job, and it's been a ton of work. My boss visited yesterday and told me my store was beautiful, so the hard work is paying off! I am worn out though, and finally I have two days off (in a row!) to relax. Well, not relax, exactly. Because while I may have a beautiful store, my house is a complete pigsty! Almost every room is in need of some serious cleaning. I'm going to try to put in a mighty effort today and get enough of it done so that tomorrow I can really relax and do something fun. All this extra work will lighten up at the end of the month, and I actually have a week off from Oct. 31-Nov. 6!  I can't wait!

It's pumpkin madness!

I keep buying pumpkins lately. I'm going to have quite the lineup of jack'o'lanterns on Halloween night! So far I have one biggish orange pumpkin, 3 medium sized orange pumpkins, 1 medium white pumpkin, and a pile of little tiny baby sized pumpkins and assorted gourds.

They're all lined up on our front steps right now. I need to go pick up some new rechargeable batteries for my camera so that I can post new pictures. The street I live on is finally getting some nice color, and pumpkins, halloween decor, and potted mums are adorning lots of houses already! There is a church selling pumpkins cheap right down the road...I wonder how many I'm going to end up with because of driving past on my way to work every day! :)

Welcome October!

It's October 1st, and where the heck did September go?! It seems like last month just flew by. We are finally getting some color in the trees around here, but due to the lack of rain in the latter half of August and the first 3 weeks of September, I'm not sure that the colors are going to be all that vivid this year. We did make up most of the rain in the last few days though, thanks to the tropical storm that cruised up the east coast over the last few days.

Ginger is restless and I've got to take her for a long walk this morning before work. She mopes when it rains, and being a real high-energy kind of dog she needs her daily trek around the neighborhood! Thanks to the rain and my getting called in to work early yesterday, it's been several days since we've gone and she keeps looking at me reproachfully. It looks like it may start raining again any minute, but I'll just have to take an umbrella with us. Otherwise I'm going to have a mad doggie on my hands!

So now I leave you with the first of my halloween themed links to celebrate the month! I found this over at another blog, buried in the archives. It's Halloween Hangman! Loads of fun, and the skeleton on the rope will taunt you if you guess a wrong letter. Too cute!
http://www.dedge.com/halloween/

Seasonal reading

I am an avid reader. I always have reading material surrounding me....stacks of books by my bedside, books at work for my lunch breaks...books in the den, books in the car...I usually average 3 or 4 new ones per month and I re read my favorites every day. I can't help myself. Hello, my name is Jennifer, and I'm a bookaholic.....

For the past couple of years I've made an effort to match my reading material to the season of the year. Summer is for long trashy novels, childhood favorites, in general lighter fare. Which is all well and good, but my favorite reading is winter reading. And my favorite month for seasonal material is almost here. October!

I think the first part of the month is going to be devoted to gothic literature. I devoured Wilkie Collins' "The Woman in White" last month (I got an early start!) in 4 days. And it's not a short novel by any means! I had a splitting headache for the last two days I was reading it, but it was totally worth it. I could not put that book down! I had to know what was happening! So I think I'm going to read some more Wilkie Collins in the upcoming week. He wrote plenty of short stories so that should be fun.

Last year at the beginning of October I listened to an audiobook during my work commute. It was Neil Gaiman reading his book "Fragile Things". I am a big Neil Gaiman fan, and I really enjoyed hearing all of those short stories read aloud by him. My favorite was "October in the Chair" which the author dedicated "to Ray Bradbury, who would have told it so much better than I did". I thought most of the stories were really good and I'll probably re read it this year.

October is going to be busy for me. The store I manage will be doing holiday transitions, which always require long hours. I think that must be why I'm drawn to quick reads this time of year. When November arrives, I'll be ready for longer novels again. By then we can start lighting the fireplace and I can cozy up in front of it, with a book and a blanket and a glass of wine. Heaven!

Happy Autumn Equinox and Harvest Moon!

This is a special full moon, as it coincides with the first of fall....or actually the midpoint of fall, as the harvest season actually begins at Lammas, Aug. 2. This is a time of balance, with day and night achieving equal length. People around the world celebrate and honor this moon and it's significance.

May your harvest be plentiful and your heart full of joy this autumn!

Wordless Wednesday~ Equinox Color

Chili season's here!

For the past three days I've been working on a pot of my special 3-bean vegetarian chili. I was inspired by the cooler nights to make some although I normally wait another month or so to make the first batch of the year.

To begin, I saute onions, garlic, celery, and and assortment of diced peppers in olive oil.

When everything is soft, I start adding vegetable stock and water. Then in go the dried beans that I've soaked overnight. I always use black beans and dark and light colored kidney beans. And a dab of liquid smoke.

When the beans are soft, in go diced fire-roasted tomatoes. And sometimes a bit of tomato paste. Then the spices: chili powder, more garlic, cumin, cayenne, and sea salt. After another hour or so of simmering, I begin to taste to adjust the seasoning. The final touch is a bit of masa corn flour mixed with water added to the pot for thickening.

As with any chili, this gets better and better as the days go by. A huge pot rarely lasts more than 3 or 4 days though. And when we get down to the last little bit, I make burritoes :)

I can't wait to start making all of my favorite fall/winter foods: vegetable soup, chicken soup with egg noodles, apple pies, pumpkin bread, shepherd's casserole....mmmm...!

Fall gardening

It is almost time to work on all the things I've been putting off in the yard this summer. Although it's still quite warm midday, the nights are cooling down and the days are still reasonably long. It's a great time to plant perennials, trees, shrubs, and bulbs for next year!

 Since we're in a new house we're eager to get started working on the yard, and I will need to begin preparing a bed now for next year's vegetable patch, where I will grow my beloved heirloom tomatoes. I missed the whole summer gardening season this year. I knew back in March that we would probably be moving so I didn't even start any seeds. It made me kind of sad! I missed having my tomato, pepper, herb, and flower seedlings to play with. I did buy lots of veggies from the farmers market this summer, which is the next best thing to growing your own. And we got lucky and moved into a house that has nine huge mature blueberry bushes. We had more berries than we knew what to do with, and we were able to share a lot with friends.I also froze about 20 cups for winter use. I have some strawberry plants in containers that I plan to plant alongside perennial herbs for next year. I already have lots of lavender, sage, and rosemary that I brought with us to get started on a nice herb garden!

 I'm a bit daunted by the amount of work that will need to be done here, though. Between amending beds for a small vegetable garden next spring, reclaiming areas of the yard swamped with purple iris (we'll divide and share with friends. They're beautiful but out of control!) weeding and clipping and mulching long-neglected landscaping in the big front yard.....I will have my hands full! I would also like to buy some tulip, lily and daffodil bulbs to plant for next spring, although I think October might be better for planting bulbs.

I will probably get started on my next day off (Friday). Today was spent reclaiming our house back from dust bunnies, Marco messes, and general mild chaos.Tomorrow will be a long long day, as I have to be in Charleston by 9am for work related meetings and workshops. It's a 2 hour drive, and we probably won't be finished until 6pm, and then I'll have the drive home. I always leave these meetings exhausted, so I plan to take it easy this afternoon and go to bed early tonight. The moon was gorgeous last night, and I enjoyed sitting outside watching it set behind the treeline, so I will probably spend some time out on the patio before going to sleep. I hope the good weather holds so I can do some gardening on Friday!

Finally

We finally got some much need rain here last night. What a relief!  Everything had been drying up and turning brown after a month of high temps and no rain. Ginger seemed to really enjoy sniffing the moist ground on our walk this morning. The air seems much fresher and cleaner.  One topic of conversation all week around my house is how quickly the daylight hours are diminishing right now.  I think the days get shorter at a faster rate as we approach the equinox.  I know that the twilight is much shorter, too.

There hasn't been much to blog about this week.  I've been busy at work, and for some reason I have a real lack of motivation right now that I'm working hard to overcome each day.  I need to snap out of it, but the sluggishness of summer won't seem to lift, even though we've had cooler temps.  Maybe the first really chilly nights will give me a boost ! I'm ready for real fall weather, not just less heat :)  I want to wear sweaters, buy pumpkins, drink cider.....and put up my Halloween decorations....now!

Whiny Thursday

Sometimes I long to escape from my life. From everything. Just jump in the car, point it west, and ride off into the sunset. Stop somewhere that no one knows me, and be a new person for awhile.

I'm kind of in the dumps this week. The job is a grind, and with the holidays looming it's only going to get worse. Several long-time workmates have quit in the last few weeks, which means training (and getting to know) several new employees. When I'm home, there seems to be no end to housework and errands. I am also stifling under my routine...it seems that I'm in a rut in my personal life. Nothing seems exciting. I feel so dull.

I am also finding myself without anyone to really talk to about stuff. There is my wonderful Husband, and I am so grateful to be married to a great guy, but I would really love to have some girlfriends. Right now I don't have any true friends besides my husband. Even my family has been distant. My parents and I have never been extremely close, but lately they're so wrapped up in their own world that I feel that they have no time for me at all. I feel the same way about my in-laws. I love my mother in law and her husband, but between them they have 5 kids and 8 grandchildren. They are super busy. I used to go to visit fairly often and we would have loads of fun, but lately there has been varied problems with the other "kids" and since my husband and I are the "problem free" ones, we're kind of on the back burner.
And we never hear from my sister in law or brother in law. I tried for years to be close to my husband's sister and her kids, but they moved to VA  and the sister is in a bad marriage that she won't seem to do anything about, and her children are teenagers now. They were very close to their uncle and me when they were small, but now that they're older they don't even so much as thank us for birthday or Christmas gifts that we send. Their mother has withdrawn from the whole family. There is no point in trying to call her....she won't answer and she will almost never return the call, either. And I have no brothers or sisters of my own. So I feel kind of lonely in the world :(

 How do adults meet people and make friends? I am generally fairly outgoing, and I am kind and thoughtful. I would make a great friend! Lots of women my own age have kids and are all caught up in raising them, and maybe since Husband and I are childless we just seem kind of odd. The South is a very traditional place, where you marry young, raise a bunch of kids, go to church, vote Conservative, etc. etc. and I don't fit in with all that very well. Maybe I'm just too "odd" to feel like a part of my community.

Normally this stuff doesn't bother me so much. I'm not sure why I'm in such a funk about it all right now. I was a lonely only child and I learned at a young age to take solace in books, in my relationship with animals, in my own private world. I am truly thankful for my happy marriage and the blessings in my life...most of the time. I just wish I had more people around to share my life with.

Fall is in the air!

I can feel it. It's subtle, but it's definitely there. A  hint of fall!

waterlily pond in autumn

It will be awhile before we have any real color in the trees. So far there is just a random leaf here and there that has changed color. We don't have our "peak" until late October/early November, and fall comes slowly. The temperatures are down, though. The nighttime temps are around 69 degrees, and the daytime highs are only in the 80s.  The sky is bluer, and the air seems slightly fresher. It's fun to sit outside and watch the bird feeders again. The birds seem especially joyful now that autumn is coming the hard work summer is over for another year. The squirrels are frisky as they begin to reap the acorn harvest (we have a huge beautiful old oak in our front yard).

I plan to enjoy every minute of the changing season!

Welcome September!

It's a new month, and a fresh start!

This week has been much cooler, the sky is bluer, and the leaves are just starting to turn a little. There is a hurricane off the coast, and I hope everyone will be careful and safe. It doesn't look like it's going to threaten the SC coast. Although I don't ever wish for anyone to get hurt, I have to admit to finding hurricanes kind of exciting. You stock up on candles, water, and non perishable foods, you watch the Weather Channel until the power goes out, then you break out the liquor (if friends are riding it out with you) and proceed to have a hurricane party. Lots of fun, especially when the storm ends up being weaker than they expect, and there are no real consequences. Except maybe a hangover :)

It's been a week full of Mondays for me. I'm restless and distracted at work, the computers keep going screwy, I can't seem to make any progress on anything....I guess I can blame Mercury retrograde! :) So tonight I plan to do the same thing I did last night...make an easy sandwich dinner, pop in a movie, and go to bed early. When the stars align against being productive, who am I to argue? I say embrace the moment! After tomorrow the 3 day weekend is here, so there will be even more time to loaf around and be non-productive. Hooray!

Happy September!

Random Tuesday

Just a few random things to share today...


I love my eye doctor. Not only is he amusing, he also gives me lots of free samples (contacts, solution, replacement nose pads for my glasses, and two bottles of allergy eye drops today!) and he always shows a real personal interest in his patients.  Dr. Hobbs, you rock! :)

It's cooling down outside. I've noticed a few dogwood and sweet gum leaves beginning to change colors. I love watching the seasons turn, especially in a new place because you never know what you might see. The cooler weather is a relief. Last night I watched the sun go down from the hammock in the backyard, glass of chilled white wine in hand. It was soooo nice! I saw a beautiful sight right before dark, Venus shining like a small jewel in the pink western horizon. I wish I had had my camera with me.

I have a three day weekend coming up over the Labor Day holiday. Husband and I will have two of those days off together, which isn't a common thing! We're looking forward to it.

Marco has been wild lately. He had clipped wings when I got him, and his flight feathers are slowly growing back in. He had some problems as a baby bird (but that's a story for another day) and so it's taken a while for him to gain some ability to fly. But all of a sudden, he's been able to glide around the house and he's been a cocky little guy since then! Whenever he's on top of his cage, on his playgym, you can't leave the room without him trying to fly after you, and getting into a little temper if you take him back to his cage!

I only look sweet and innocent.

That's all that's up in the Burning Moonlight household this week. Happy Tuesday!

Welcome to the neighborhood

It's been a nice few days for me. Lately every time I go out and walk with Ginger I end up meeting neighbors for the first time! We just moved to this house back in June and until this weekend I really hadn't met anyone. In fact, Husband commented just the other day how no one seemed especially friendly here. He had waved at the man that lives across the street, and the guy just stared at him and then continued mowing his lawn. Nice! A few folks walk their dogs past our house early in the morning and most have refused to even make eye contact. I was just getting ready to be resigned to the fact that we had just not moved to a friendly kind of place.

Well, all that changed in the last few days! Maybe we just hadn't landed on the right neighbors. I took Ginger to a small park down the road on Saturday, and ended up meeting and chatting with two neighbors named Joe and Arlene....and their sweet dogs, too...a Boykin spaniel named Morgan (that Ginger has fallen in love with!) and two mixed breeds named Sallie and Max. Then, on the way back home an old woman named Diana walked to the end of her driveway as we passed by and introduced herself. I also met her little granddaughter, Bailey, who had started first grade last week and wanted to tell me all about it.That was sweet (and Bailey loved Ginger and petted her half to death!)  Diana also had dogs...4 of them...but I can't remember their names. During our conversation she told me the names of the people that live in several houses on our street and a little fact about each one. "That's Mr. and Mrs.--, they used to own that one florist shop downtown, and that's where Mrs. So and So used to live, she's in a nursing home now but her kids keep the house and yard up....and Mr. -- lives there, he has a dog and a cat..."  It made me smile, and Ginger loved all the attention from the people and their dogs.

So my weekend got off to a good start. Then I went to work Sat. night to the retail store I manage, and found out we made our sales target in the second quarter and I will be getting a bonus! That made me incredibly happy, not just for the money but also because I am so proud of my team and what we were able to accomplish!  Everyone has worked really hard these last couple of months.

Then today I was actually able to leave work a bit early, and get in some blogging/reading/knitting time. Happy happy day! I plan to make a "Garden Tomato Pie" for dinner. It's kind of like a quiche, and it has tomatoes (obviously), green onions, 3 cheeses, fresh basil, and crumbled bacon. mmmm! Then we'll settle in and watch a movie. And then we might even take a nighttime walk with Ginger...in our new neighborhood.

No, I'm not your friend!

Forgive me for a quick rant here.

I have to get this off my chest: Facebook really irritates me.

I admit,it can be lots of fun with people you are actually friends with. In real life. Or people you genuinely like and would lose touch with otherwise. But what I hate about Facebook is the friend requests from people that I don't care about. Or, worse, people that I dislike, but am embarrassed to ignore a friend request from. Like the Christian Conservative Rupublican Glenn Beck/Ann Coulter/Rush Limbaugh-lover....who happens to work for the same company as me (we're on the same level, just work in different towns). Like the guy that "likes" things like "Barack Obama= Bullshit" and "Work harder! Millions on welfare depend on you!"  Dude, I am not your friend. I'm your arch nemesis. You offend me. And now I get to scroll through the bs you post every day to read the stuff I actually like. You know, that my friends posted. Sigh.

I constantly consider getting rid of my facebook page. Occasionally I hear from someone I care about, or get to watch a funny video someone posted on my wall, etc. But there is so much juvenile stuff that I rarely get on anymore, much less post anything. Then there are the increasing numbers of my "friends" that aren't, really. I'm really thinking about just deleting my page and forgetting about it.

So there's my Friday rant, not very interesting but it was nice to get it off  my chest! :)

Late summer gifts

Last night we got to see the full moon after all! The cloud cover of yesterday began to lift late in the afternoon, and by the time I got off work (at 9:30pm) it was shining golden overhead. I hurried home, and did a little moon gazing before bed. Here in our new house, the windows in the master bedroom make a lovely frame for the moon when it reaches it's full phase. I opened the blinds and drifted off to sleep with the silvery light shining in.

I don't have to work today, so twilight will find me sitting on our back patio, glass of wine in hand, waiting on lady moon to make her appearance. It should be a great night for it...the heat has finally subsided a little over the past couple of days.  Husband keeps telling me that I should enjoy the summer weather while it lasts, and he's right. I will be sad when winter comes and the earth is cold and sleeping. I will long for green leaves, warm breezes, flowers, and long days and will be counting the weeks until summer returns. Thinking of this keeps everything in perspective and makes me mindful of living in the moment and enjoying each season's special gifts. Even if it is hot.

August Full Moon

I just love full moons.

Every month I try to make time to sit outside under the light of the full moon and bask in her glow. Today has started off with some serious cloud cover so I don't know if that will be possible tonight. This would annoy me ordinarily, but it's been so hot this summer that any cloudy, cooler day is welcome...even if it does deprive me of moon gazing!

I always make up my own "moon names" for each month that have meaning to me in my part of the world. The farmer's almanac calls this the "sturgeon moon"..........which doesn't mean much to me in here in South Carolina. So here are some moon names for August that I've come up with:

Hot Moon
Thunder Moon
Moon of Shooting Stars
Rainy Moon
Scuppernong Moon

That's all I can come up with for now. Next month will be one of my favorite full moons of the year, the Harvest Moon! I am also beginning to make plans to invite some lady friends over to celebrate the Chinese Mid-Autumn Moon festival, which falls on the full moon in September. More about that later!

Lazy Sunday

It's going to be a lazy Sunday afternoon for me, and I plan to spend it with my two best buddies! First off, the sweetest little love-bug ever:

Marco

And the best dog ever, my very own Spice Girl:

Ginger

It's going to be a happy-at-home kind of day! During the worst heat of the afternoon I'm going to chill out in the a/c and listen to NPR and knit (is that nerdy or what?!) Then I plan to make a quick run to the grocery store to get a few ingredients I'm missing to make a from-scratch chicken pot pie!  Mmmm! I've had a craving for one for weeks now. Then when Husband gets home we'll have a nice Sunday night dinner and probably watch a movie....then take a moonlight stroll with Ginger around the neighborhood (the moon is almost full!)...then off to bed :)

Happy Scents

I read an interesting thread this morning on a forum I frequent. The topic was perfume and favorite scents. It got me thinking of my own personal favorite (and not-so favorite) smells.

First off, I'm not much of a perfume/cologne fan. This is due, at least in part, to my allergies. Most perfumes make me sneeze and my eyes water, and my nose immediately gets all stuffed up so I can't smell anything anyway. I also have eczema on my knees, feet, and wrists so my dermatologist recommended that I only use unscented gentle soaps. So perfume isn't a huge part of my life. I don't mind, because I'm not a big fan of artificial fragrances anyway. There are, however, lots of things in life that I love to smell!

So, in no particular order, here are some of my favorites:

Lavender, sage, basil, (most herbs!), freshly mown grass, ocean air, ripe peaches, citrus-y things (especially limes), pine woods after a rain, apples, spearmint, baking bread, Marco's feathers (he will hold up his wings and let me kiss underneath, and he has a sweet, clean bird smell that's hard to describe), old books, libraries, freshly laundered sheets, honeysuckle, jasmine, burning leaves, tomato foliage, tobacco warehouses where tobacco is being cured (there aren't many of those left these days), suntan lotion, good coffee, popcorn, and some strange things, like fresh paint and gasoline!

I thought it was fascinating to read some of responses on the thread that inspired this blog post. People listed their favorite/least favorite scents in life and it was so incredibly varied! I plan to be more mindful of the scents around me as I move through today....I wonder what I'll notice?

Wordless Wednesday ~ Alight

Another sleepless night...

I have really been "burning moonlight" this week. For some reason I haven't been sleeping, which is most unusual for me. Normally I'm out like a light and I sleep hard for 7-8 hours and wake up feeling fine (despite the name of this blog I'm actually a morning person). Not this week, though. I toss and turn, get up, get something to drink, then back to bed to toss and turn some more. When I do doze off I've been sleeping very lightly and waking up easily. I have no idea why this is going on.

I have, however, been doing some moon gazing. The first quarter moon has been bright and beautiful, and the air outside is cool and sweet at night. Then I get up super early and take the Ginger girl for a stroll, which we both enjoy. So it's not all wasted time. But I sure feel rough about halfway through the work day!

Maybe tonight I'll try some chamomile tea and a warm bath before bed. We'll see how it goes!

Sad

Today is the last day of my vacation. Back to work tomorrow (sniff!)

Why does time off go by so fast?

Friday the 13th

"I'm not superstitious. But I'm a little stitious."  -Michael Scott, from The Office

So it's Friday the 13th and so far the day is living up to it's reputation.

First, I forgot to put out the trash for today's pickup for the second week in a row. Nice. I woke up to the sound of the garbage truck lumbering down our street and my first thought on this fine morning was, "Oh sh*t!" So I threw on some shorts and sprinted outside....only to see the truck cruise past our house and continue on it's way. Sigh.

Then, I came in to face the wreck that is my house....the house I spent all day cleaning yesterday in anticipation of one of Husband's friends coming over. I cooked a ton of Mexican food, we drank beer, a good time was had by all, but now I'm left with the aftermath. Again, sigh.

What should cap off the morning is that Husband and I are headed to the Verizon store to get new cell phones and a new plan for our phone/internet/etc. Should be loads of fun, given how the rest of the morning is going!

Well, off to see what kind of bad luck I can find! Happy 13th!

Perseid meteors peak tonight!

Tonight should be a great night for stargazing! Don't forget to make a wish on the first shooting star you see!



http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20100812/sc_space/spectacularmeteorshowerandrareplanetalignmentcoincide


Enjoy the show :)

Signs of autumn

This morning when Ginger and I went for our daily walk around the neighborhood, we had a surprise. Morning glories are beginning to bloom on our back fence!

Morning glory photo taken last September at our old house.

I always think of morning glories as a sign of early autumn here in the south. In a few more weeks the roadside ditches will be covered in them. Such a gorgeous sight on a cool September morning (or a hot August morning!)  The ones here at the new house are sky blue--my favorites.

I've also begun to see the trees in our neighborhood turning a gold-green color. I hope our trees have good color this year. Not that we ever have the dramatic hues of the Northeast, but the South Carolina lowcountry has a subtle beauty in the fall all it's own.

Peaches and Lavender

As summer begins to wind down, I am slowly filling my chest freezer with fruity goodness to see us through the winter. We moved into this house in June only to find a wonderful surprise.....nine mature blueberry bushes loaded down with fruit! We have frozen about 3 gallons of them in quart containers, to go with the strawberries I picked at the U-pick farm back in April. In fact, the bushes produced so much that we were able to give away probably 5 gallons to friends, and we enjoyed watching the neighborhood birds bring their fledgling babies to enjoy the bounty.

Today is all about PEACHES! I bought a big beautiful basket of them at the market on Monday, and I'm going to add some quarts of sliced peaches to the freezer. They smell absolutely divine. Could anything on earth smell nicer than a sweet, ripe peach?

Well, one thing might....the bundles of lavender flowers I've been drying! I have fallen in love with the scent of lavender this year. I have one big plant that I am hoping will thrive despite being dug up and moved in May (I harvested the flowers right before digging). Yesterday I took TWO baths with the lavender salts and soap I bought from HMS at the market. Lavender is supposed to have calming, soothing properties and I believe it. I slept like a baby with the gentle scent of it surrounding me!

What are you harvesting this summer?

August Heat

When I was a kid, I had a collection of my parents' high school textbooks. My favorites were the literature books, and today I am trying to recall a creepy short story entitled "August Heat". If I remember correctly, it was about a guy taking  a walk on a steamy hot August day, and meeting a tombstone maker working on a tombstone....which turned out to be HIS stone, with that day's date listed as the death date. Scary!

What made me remember this today? Taking my dog Ginger for a walk this morning. It was 7:30am and the temperature was already above 90F. With high humidity to go with it every thing looked steamy, like a sauna. I was drenched in sweat after 30 minutes. Ugh. It's enough to make you feel like you're about to die! Hence the story popping into my mind.

Oh, August, I have such a love hate relationship with you! On the one hand, I always seem to be able to take a vacation in August. I am on vacation this week (hooray!) and last year I took a week off in August as well. I love that there are still lots of wonderful things to buy at the farmer's market. I went yesterday and bought corn, tomatoes, watermelon, a big basket of peaches (I plan to freeze some), zucchini, eggplant, peas, okra, peppers and squash. I met an 81 year old potter named Elijah and admired his pottery. I went to Harvest Moon Soapworks and bought lavender bath salts (with the cutest little wooden scoop!) lavender soap, sage soap, dried rosebuds and petals, and a mortar and pestle made of stone. I got the best peach ice cream cone for lunch, and also bought organic milk and eggs. August is just made for rambling around having those kinds of adventures. I plan to go to the public library today and spend an afternoon browsing the shelves. August is also made for summer reading and library books.

BUT, there is another side to August. I live in South Carolina, and the heat makes everyone want to hibernate inside with the a/c cranked up and the blinds drawn. I haven't worn makeup to work in three months (because I'll just sweat it off getting into my car!) Everyone is cranky. Doing anything outside for 10 minutes or more leaves one soaked with sweat. Add to the fun that this has been a hotter than normal summer all up and down the east coast, including here.

The other thing I dislike about this month is the fact that the days are getting shorter already. I always feel like I haven't had enough summer yet when it starts to get dark noticeably earlier. Of course, I haven't had much summer....I've been hiding inside to escape the heat!

Then there is the "back to school" feeling. I know some people love this time of year, the shopping for school supplies, the feeling of new beginnings.........but for me the "new beginnings" feeling happens in the early spring, not now. I just have a kind of "back to school/work/responsibilities" feeling!

Well, I'm off to enjoy the day, despite the August Heat! This vacation was very needed, and I still have the rest of the week to enjoy. Life is good right now!

This is a test post

Hello to all future readers who may find this post! :)

I am attempting to make a blog here for your enjoyment. This is the first post for Burning Moonlight and I can't wait to get out into blogland!