If you think my fridge montage is interesting...

Then you might like the one over my desk!

I seem to be allergic to blank wall space! :) I have pictures drawn by my 3 kids on the top row, with job related items below and to the right. I 've stuck up sayings and photos that I like or that speak to me in some way. (Yes, that is a Starbucks coffee bag-their graphics are well done this year!) I also have a calander that helps keep me on track plus my laptop usually sports a seasonal picture-right now it is a view of a field in late fall with hoar frost and the slant of light I associate with this time of year. Soon I think I will pick something for advent....

My laptop usually sits in the center (that is what the 2 little books are for) and I plug in the speakers so I can hear music... My dk either sit behind me or in another room for school. Sometimes Mike works in the shop on projects, he earned quite a bit by helping my brother repair his drill rig after an accident.

I am sure someone will ask about the sayings, so here is what I can remeber:

"Never wrestle with a pig-you get all muddy and the pig has a good time"

"Worry does not empty tomorrow of it's sorrow, it empties today of it's strength"

"Most Folks are as about as happy as they have made up their minds to be"

"Let Go, Let God" (take care of the problems, punish or reward, take care of the universe, etc)

Those aren't all by a long shot, however I can't read the rest in the photo-I 'll have to have a shot at putting more on later! So there you have it, my inspiration in my place away from home!

The fall color on many of our street's trees is just beginning, (some are rather slow) while in other areas it is almost over! I love walking or driving down a street drifting in leaves, golden and red, shimmering in the autum sun or glowing in the dusk.
We love watching the visitors to our two feeders (black sunflower seed and nijer seed). This is a house finch, their colors very from peach to orange to red-pretty! On the nijer seed feeder this moring there are some American Goldfinches along with their lesser cousins! Exciting as we don't see them very often. Tarby of course observes all this-it is like tv for cats but better! (Well for the birds anyway!)

Give thanks for this day that the Lord hath made.

It came to me this morning that instead of chasing down the myriad of things that must be done every morning, the first and foremost thing I ought to be doing is giving thanks for this new day. Everyday, no matter what the weather, the occasion, the good or bad taking place...it is a new day firmly wrought with God's hand, and it is there for better or worse, and having faith I hopefully am open to what God wishes to bring me and my family (or friends).

Today as yesterday it is freezing cold, but clear and sunny. I just read on the National Weather Service (the headquarters of which are located in our own backyard, er, Seaside) that a cold freeze advisory is in effect and tonight is going to be a deep freeze in action! (from San Francisco, where my daughter is , to south of here...) Now I know y'all elsewhere, perhaps Alaska or Illinois or New York State, have really cold weather, however for us flat landers near the coast it is really cold! There's even ice in a sag of the Fiat's protective tarp...with a beautiful maple leaf captured in the water. We are having fun watching the frost on roofs, grass and leaves, and the ice fascinates the boys. Mike even added water to the tarp to see how much more it would be frozen this morning (about 3/8ths of an inch).

And this is what is great about this day-the beauty of the trees, the excitement of the freezing weather, even the suffering cold is a good thing (for one, it teaches me to not take our mild climate lightly! It could be 20 below with a foot or two of snow on the ground!). The more chilly the nights, and sunny the days the better the fall color. Our area is known as Maple Park for the beautiful maples that line most of the streets. Their colors are varied and gorgeous, as are the Chinese Pastichio trees, the ginkos and any other fall coloring tree. My spirit rejoices every time I turn down streets lined with gold, red and bronze. Thank you to whom ever had the wisdom to begin the planting of these glorious trees!

Well, my day is calling me away from this rumination, so I will give thanks not only for this day and all the others, but also for those folks who are in it, or who are elsewhere but whom I call to mind and as God's blessing on, truly this is something to be grateful for!

My very first post, has to be a quick one...

because I had better jump through the shower and get to work! ACK. This is great fun, but a huge time eater. Oh, well. I have a photo of my fridge front to show what I mean by Montage...My life is layers of different things and my days are pretty much like that as well! I wish I had more time to devote to art and calligraphy, to baking and sewing. However the boys need schooling and I need to work to pay the bills. You have no idea how much teenagers can eat!

The boys, Michael and Patrick, went to Portland, Oregon (on the train!) to see their cousins and aunts and uncles and the fridge stayed static. It was very quiet here as well. I think the cat was bored with no one to chase her or harass her! We were even on time for church, not having to round up sleepy heads. (Christina and Zach were very timely, having to leave early to find gas, and the boys went with Greg and Lois to the service at their Greek Orthodox church, a very peaceful place).

Christina went to Portland too, on a plane, and had a blast staying with Cousin Katy and family. They drank pots of coffee, went shopping, played with Vassie (my darling Grand-niece :), made pie, and celebrated Thanksgiving at Lois and Greg's. We need to go next year-I kind of felt, well, left out. I am so glad they all had a great time though. (The boys watched football, played football, ate, went to the Army Surplus store, played Settler and several other intense games (as did Christina), ate, went to the service, slept...I think they had a fine ol' time!) Then Christina and her boyfriend, Zach (short for Zachariah) came down and we had a late T-giving dinner at my parents. My mom, Angelo (my DH), Christina and Zach played an intense game of Canasta while my Dad and I cleaned up the scrumptious dinner.

So Sunday evening was quiet and I tried to work through my papers, bills, mess, photos, etc. The table is covered! Sigh. And it all has to get cleaned up before dinner! I am taking the afternoon off, I think and cleaning that mess up. I have a list of errands too...

Well, there it is -my first post. What do you think?