Saturday Morning Catch Up

 November 1st will feel like April 1st temp wise today. Roy is resting from a vigorous and focused job of entrance, exit and keeping Fall Festival participants safe from other drivers last night. Sounds like the Fall Festival was a hit and heard that maybe a thousand or so participants. That is a large number when it comes to this rural area.  

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Once again a weak beginning on Monday and hopefully a wrap up on a Friday, so it truly doesn't become a week. Intentions are there but then life needs to be lived and glory be, that means something to write about. This afternoon as well as tomorrow afternoon we have tree trimmer guys coming out to give us an estimate to thin out some firs as well as trim up some of the bigger trees. Andy was here last week trimming the shrubs and such in the back as well as putting out pine straw. Fertilizer is an expensive deal this year, so we are going with some natural solutions. Our neighbor offered some of their compost for our flower beds. We love their horses and what they contribute to the beauty as well as the flowerbeds. The leaves have been doing a rapid drop and we use those as well. Our neighbors aren't interested in the leaves and let us rake and take all we want. Wait a minute....no really, most of their leaves come onto the driveway so it's more a sweep than a rake. 

We took a little trip to the Costco on Wednesday. Filled up with $2.97 gas before going into the store. We had a lovely time picking up a few more holiday items and then the very necessary items. We bought a ham and it is the best price we have seen. So Thanksgiving meal will be ham centered. Batteries and flashlights on sale but the best thing or one of the best things we bought was pumpkin strudel muffins. Never tried them but I have started looking at Costco influencers and their reviews on products in November. These are a hit and don't know if we or rather if I can wait a couple of weeks when we go back when a new sale starts. I 26 was rather beautiful going and coming. Lower elevation so much brighter color than what has come and gone in the mountains. A bonus always is this, we had a relatively easy traffic trip, one overturned tractor trailer but nothing toxic or liquid or messy. 

Yesterday, I made the trek, a fun and beautiful trek, over to Burnsville. Lamp Post Vintage Market is getting ready for the big Christmas reveal and that means I was able to get in before the official kick off tonight. Pretty much had in mind what I was looking for and I came away with everything I went to get, mostly Christmas gifts and such. Since we still have two rambunctious young cats, no Christmas tree this year but we have a small table top one we can use. My mom would already have her tree up by now because she loved Christmas and spent many an hour sitting still and watching the lights on the tree. Stopped in Mars Hill on the way home at the Ingles for a couple of things. 

I realized while writing about Christmas and how much my mom loved it, she will have been gone from earth eleven years on Tuesday. I miss her everyday and so wish that she could see and visit or live here but I think she knows her kiddos are doing okay. I'd like for her to see the spring flowers, tulips and such, then the zinnias, roses and dahlias we have planted. It has just been recently, she has shown up in my dreams and that right there makes me so happy. 

We will wrap up Haggai on Sunday. Such an interesting minor prophet. Not much is known about him but he got the people off their butts and out of remodeling their homes and the temple construction started again.  

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The morning holds a little bit of rain and it is welcomed in these parts. We thought we were going to do some chair painting yesterday but the wind was too much. Instead we put out tulip and daffodil bulbs. Another highlight of the day, we officially took down the playpens were the boys slept at night. They have transferred to the bonus room for their nighttime slumber. It is so nice to have the entrance area back or semi back to normal. We will probably bring a cat tree in from the back porch but then again, we might not. 

Two tree guys are supposed to come today and give us estimates on thinning out some firs and trimming a few other trees. We shall see if they really get here so until then....