Fall weather is upon us for sure and the cars have the dirt to prove it. Rain falls most everyday and it is a joy when it is JUST the rain and no high winds off the ocean are thrown into the mix. Even with the rain I find such joy in the colors in the garden. Leaves are falling yet some shrubs still glow with remarkable colors of fiery red, golden yellow or a lovely maroon. Most of the flowering plants are done yet the Mahonia and Heath are just getting ready for their Winter show of blooms. The moisture clings to the greenery of everything else and brings out the most vibrant shades of greens/yellows in the largest assortment of foliage I have had the pleasure of having in a garden.
I am up to date with my H1N1 vaccination and I get to go for the seasonal flu shot on my birthday! Not exactly what I'd pick to give myself but what ya gonna do. I did have some reaction to the H1N1 shot in the form of a VERY stiff neck and sore muscles, which oddly popped up two days after I got the shot and hung around for another few days. All is well now and I am back up to as close to 100% that I can get, at this age.
We managed to find money in the holiday budget for some Christmas cards this year and we knocked those out today, figuring the ones going to the US will need a bit of extra time. I still can't send to everyone I used to, with it costing $1 per card for a stamp, but the ones I miss with a card I will get with a holiday e-mail.
One of my new indulgences is Cranberry Herbal Tea, which I am really enjoying! I have never been much of a tea drinker, the flavor seems most like hot water with a bit of flavor added, but this Cranberry tea really has me excited. I usually treat myself to a steaming hot cup of it in the evening as I am watching TV. I swear it helps me sleep too as it is decaffeinated.
As I am seeing more and more Christmas images, and smelling some wonderful holiday scents, I am gearing up for some holiday baking. I did a warm up last week with chocolate chip cookies, just to kind of get into the groove, and now I am ready for the real holiday stuff! It always helps to put on some classic Christmas music too, like Lena Horne, Doris Day, etc. I grew up with those holiday compilation records of the 60's from Firestone and Goodyear dealers, some of which I still have, and am finally able to appreciate some of the music my parents listened to. Mom was a HUGE Harry Belafonte fan and his jazz record from San Francisco is wonderful. Once in a while I'll put some vinyl on the turntable and just drift off into the past and relive some great times. I know you can't bring things back but ain't nothing wrong with holding on to memories reliving things in your mind when you need a feel good moment. Below is a picture of my mother and some of her sisters, that I used a few years ago to create my own retro holiday card.
1 comment:
That's a brilliant idea for a card....hmmmmmmm.
Made me want tea too, I had to get up in the middle of reading your post to put some on.
Post a Comment