322 / 365 The Big Move

This large lump of plastic is actually my mother-in-law M’s new sofa.  It arrived early this morning, and we all held our breaths at its unveiling.  M grinned after the movers left and announced, I think it’s pretty gutsy to buy a new couch at (almost) 91 years old.

321 / 365 Autumn Leaves

In the last twenty-four hours the temperatures have been dropping dramatically, and so have the leaves. 

320 / 365 Vigilance

This is Saint Rose, the patroness of gardeners (among others).  I bought her several years ago and placed her in the Secret Garden, where she keeps an eye on things.

319 / 365 Crystal-Clear

I’ve been collecting rocks and minerals since I was a kid, and I have small bowls of these earthly artifacts scattered all over the house.  I’m particularly fond of this little grouping, which I keep in a small ceramic leaf that belonged to my great-aunt.  There’s just something very tactile and soothing about them. 

318 / 365 Order in the Court!

This week I’ve been called for jury duty, something I’ve never done before.  I’ve always heard that there’s a lot of waiting involved, but my experience today was relatively speedy... there at 8:00 am, selected and on a jury panel by 9:30 am, and done by 4:30 pm.  I hope the rest of the week is just as efficient.

317 / 365 A Snack in Hand

It feels like H and I have been eating non-stop since our travels began last Thursday, and yet, stuffed as we are, it’s difficult to turn down the snacks that await us on the flight home.  This buttered shortbread cookie was one of today’s treats.  If we don’t explode tonight, we’ll be back to routine eating tomorrow… thank goodness.

316 / 365 Traditions

Each year H and I celebrate an early Thanksgiving with family (three generations on H’s side) in Arizona, where the house is filled with chatter and laughter, food and games.  We follow the same traditions each visit… Dunkin’  Donuts in the morning, a field trip to a local park, expert turkey carving by nephew G, a scrumptious meal, and a rousing game of Taboo to complete the evening.  The ships you see here are part of a festive table setting.  They’re salt and pepper dispensers that have been part of the family for many years.