Outside My Window ~ 11.29.09

Outside My Window…is bright, blue, sun shiny skies.  The temperature this morning at 8:45 is 49F with very light winds.  The humidity is low ~ for us anyway ~ at 59%.  Any morning you wake up with no dew on the windshield, you know the humidity is low that morning.   Our forecast for today is  67F with partly cloudy skies.  With the exception of Wednesday and Friday, we have had pretty decent weather during my time off.   Rain showers are in the forecast for tomorrow.  I noticed our precipitation for the month of November is already at 11.19 inches……10 of which was received during Nor’Ida earlier this month.  It has been a soggy month.

I am thinking…about all the things I want to get accomplished today.  My list is quite long but I am hopeful.

I am thankful for…the ability to still wish my parents and family a Happy Thanksgiving this past holiday.  And for all of you who take your time and spend it here with me.  🙂

From the kitchen…is French Vanilla coffee dripping through the coffee maker right now.  Yesterday we had most of the left overs my mom sent home with us from Thanksgiving.  Today I think we will finish up the turkey with an open faced turkey sandwich for lunch and pork chops in a balsamic vinegar sauce with some couscous for dinner tonight. 

I am creating…a bit of a mess at the moment with Christmas decorations down from the attic and furniture looking for a new place to sit for a while.  The first few days are a mess as you unpack and rearrange to make room for the tree….but once you get the boxes back up in the attic and the furniture just so, everything is lovely. 

I am going…to be setting up and begin decorating my tree today.  I do have an artificial tree.  I would prefer a natural tree……but I do not like the idea of cutting down a tree to use for a short period.  I know they offer trees that you can re-pot after you use them, but those are not practical for my small house.  And planting it afterwards may be a bit more than I could handle.  Not too mention the costs of a natural tree has gotten quite high.  While mine is artificial, it is perfect!  🙂

I am reading…not so much at the moment ~ too much going on.  I have flipped through my new Runner’s World and Mother Earth News magazines.  Several articles have caught my eye, I just haven’t had the opportunity to read them yet.

I am hoping…that everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving had a wonderful holiday.  Mine was very nice…….an excellent turkey dinner with all the fixing’s and laughing with family.   My mother cooked up quite a feast for all of us to enjoy.  I returned the favor by cleaning the dishes afterwards.  If only the powers that be could figure out a way to eliminate the mess making a feast creates in the kitchen, that would be great!!  🙂

I am hearing…the coffee maker gurgling as it finishes up…..the ticking of my many clocks……a neighbor that lives behind me revving up the engine of a noisy car ~ it sounds like it needs a new muffler.  I’m sure those that live closer to him are pleased he has decided to do this at 9:00 am on a Sunday morning……especially those who had a late night and decided to sleep in.

Around the house…is laundry…… furniture shuffled here and there….. and a Christmas tree in pieces ~ waiting to be assembled and decorated.  I put the lights up outside yesterday evening.  Alanna helped me place them on the bushes and in our small red maple tree.  It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!  🙂

Plans for the week include…putting the finishing touches on the house decorations….processing some of my recent photos…..hopefully getting Christmas cards made and ready for mailing. 

One of my favorite things…is the holidays.  I love the memories I have of holidays past, and the anticipation of the memories to come.  Decorating the house again and sitting quietly in the dark with only the glow of the Christmas tree illuminating the room.  It is my favorite time of year.

A picture I’d like to share with you…is another adventure in using textures.  This was taken on the Colonial Parkway one morning on my way to work…….One Foggy Day…….