Outside My Window ~ 10.25.09

Outside My Window…is quite cloudy….the temp is 59F with forecasted high of about 67F and cloudy skies today.  Not quite as hot as it has been the past few days….yesterday was a balmy 82F.  The one thing I don’t especially enjoy about fall and/or spring weather….you are never quite sure what type of clothes you will need for the day ~ sweaters or shorts?  

I am thinking…about how quickly this year has gone by.  It doesn’t seem possible it is the final week of October…..it seems like I was just writing about the spring season not so long ago ~ now we are well into fall and heading towards winter.  I know Christmas is fast approaching, but I think Christmas displays in the stores before Halloween is a bit much.  I went to World Market yesterday and they have a huge section set up with decorations, wrapping paper, ornaments.  I was in Lowe’s two weeks ago; they have a huge area set up with artificial trees and decorations.  These are just two, there have been more.  Everyone wants you to buy their bigger and better decorations….in October.   😕

I am thankful for…the Jeep passing inspection this week with no required repairs!!  Woo Hoo!  I’m always worried when I get the vehicle inspected even if I don’t have any problems.  I’m not totally naïve when it comes to vehicles, but there is a lot I do not know.  I usually worry about the brakes and tires passing because they can get quite pricey to repair and replace.    

From the kitchen…is coffee brewing right at the moment.  I have had a request for cinnamon rolls later this morning and nachos for lunch.  I’m thinking Pork Medallions with a balsamic vinegar sauce for dinner…and couscous with garlic and olive oil.  Couscous is a Moroccan dish of tiny semolina grains.  You can buy it plain or with seasonings.  I generally buy mine plain and add my own extras.  It can be served hot or cold….I love it both ways.  It is used as a side dish, or when mixed with chocolate or something sweet, it can be a dessert.    

I am creating…my Christmas gifts for my family.  And no, I’m not going to say what they are ~ family reads this too.   🙂   I’m also processing some of the photos I have taken recently. 

I am going…to step away from the computer today and do some serious housework and laundry. 

I am reading…John Steinbeck’s East of Eden.  I had read this book years and years ago and ran across it again while sorting through my closet.  I have always been a Steinbeck fan since I was required to read The Grapes of Wrath while in high school.  I remember when I got the paperback…..it was huge, with small print.  I can remember thinking how would I ever get through this book, much less enjoy it.  I was pleasantly surprised……I still have my original paperback with yellow highlighted passages and notes written in the margins.   🙂

I am hoping…the weather cools down a little bit.  I don’t mind the hot weather during the summer months, but in the fall it is tricky.  This is because it is usually cooler in the mornings so you can’t wear summer attire without an additional layer.  Another reason, they shut off the chillers at work generally by mid October so the air conditioning is not functional….and it can get toasty in the office without them.  I don’t enjoy the hot temps one day, cold the next…..Mother Nature ~ pick one and stick with it for a bit!!

I am hearing…the ticking of my many clocks and my wind chimes singing outside.  It was windy yesterday and it appears to have carried over this morning because they are singing quite nicely. 

Around the house…is far too much clutter for me to stand any longer.  I did get my little work area set up.  Now I have to figure out how to make room for my winter and summer clothes until the weather decides what it is going to do!

Plans for the week include…the possibility of sorting out some things in the attic.  This seems to be an annual fall ritual for me.  I have to get up in the attic to swap summer for winter clothes and rearrange things I have just stuck up there in the summer months.  The attic gets so hot in the summer I can barely stand to be up there….so I tend to just open the door and put things right at the entrance.  Of course, that makes it difficult to get in later, so when it cools down I do my annual clean out.

One of my favorite things…is being at the right place at the right time and getting that just right photo.  The trees have begun to turn around here now and the colors are amazing.  Have they always been this beautiful and I just didn’t notice…..or am I just noticing more because I have picked up my camera again after a long break?  I have always enjoyed taking photos but for several reasons, I did get away from it for a time.  I have a very nice SLR, but film development got to be a bit pricey when you take as many photos as I did.  Then digitals came along and life was good again.  Someday I will have my “dream” camera…..but for now, I do pretty well with the little one I have now.

A picture I’d like to share with you…I returned to the reservoir, the spot of my missed golden photo opportunity the other day.  As luck would have it, I got another opportunity to get some photos.  The water was perfect, the sky was blue and the trees are beginning to change…….here are a few of the shots I got: