PICK A SEASON, ANY SEASON

Our relatives from Ohio and Wisconsin have spent several Thanksgivings with us, all of which have provided short-sleeve, dining-on-the-porch kind of weather. Last week when we awakened to find our flower beds full of sleet, I couldn't resist sending them a photo, as proof of winter. BIL Mike's response was, "You call that winter? What a wimp!"

A couple of days ago, we woke up to find that our fountain had turned into an ice sculpture. Let's see what Mike has to say about that! (but don't anyone tell him we're already back to sleeping with the windows open, and highs around 70)

GOOD THINGS DO COME FREE

Dad was wrong. Good things in life DO come free! Take the sunrises here in the Hill Country. Many days, it just gets light. No big deal. But sometimes, on days like today, I'll start scribbling away in my journal when it is barely light enough to see the page, and a minute or two later, when I happen to glance up, the colors that have been splashed across the heavens will take my breath away, actually causing me to gasp. It is so very fleeting though, and it distresses me to realize that there were probably days when I kept my nose to the page, and missed one of God's masterpieces altogether.

Another prime example of good + free, was my recent excursion to the town square, while I was still in the laid-back, fun, idea-gathering stage of Christmas shopping. My first stop was Kiss the Cook - my favorite shop in Wimberley. I think I could just set up a bed in their back room, stock the fridge, and be quite content to live there. Exploring its nooks and crannies is one of my favorite free entertainments. The only thing better is stumbling upon the latest free issue of edible Austin while I am there, as I did on this occasion, and which caused me to squeal out loud.

From there I wandered over to River House, the surprisingly sophisticated tableware, gift and accessory shop that opened here a while back. As I was leaving I noticed another free magazine stacked by the door - one called Country Lifestyle. I picked one up and went home to brew a pot of tea, then cozied up with my new reads. Midway through Country Lifestyle I sat bolt upright, causing my lap robe to fall to the floor. It had just hit me that this was the hard copy version of the e-zine that fellow blogger Pamela Price, of Red, White and Grew, had just gone to work for. She is their new editorial coordinator, and has enlisted several other favorite bloggers to take turns providing content on the magazine's blog page. Getting free monies just for blogging? Suh-weet! If only I could find a gig like that... Check it out at www.countrylifestyle.net/blog/.

FINAL COUNTDOWN III

Hoo-wee, my mind is a whirling dervish this morning! Lexie flies in this afternoon, and my brain is having a bit of trouble grasping that Christmas is really here. It has been hopping from "Should I finish decorating the tree now, or wait and let the kids help?" to "Should I finish wrapping and get all this mess put away, so we'll have a place to eat, or leave it up in case anyone else still has wrapping to do?" to "Shall we have dinner in Austin, after I pick her up from the airport, or should I fix one of her favorites?" to "What shall we bake together, and what supplies do I need from the grocery store?", then to "How much cleaning do I absolutely have to get done before she arrives?"

You see, the thing is, I know how I am. If anything doesn't get done today, before I head to the airport, it's just not gonna get done at all! Her arrival is going to start the party ball rolling. It's going to pick up speed tomorrow when Austin and Guinness arrive, and it will be hurtling along full-tilt by the time John arrives on Thursday. At that point we will simply be having way too much fun to be bothered by such mundane things as chores!

I really need to do something about that laundry though. It's such a pain that our washer and dryer are still with John in Houston. I've become so spoiled over the years, being able to just throw a load into the machine in the next room, and go on about my business. I can't get used to devoting half a day to the laundromat. I've been thinking about setting up a clothesline here, to cut my laundromat time in half, but am afraid that, with the ferocious winds we get on the side of this hill, my undies are liable to end up in the next county. Wonder how my sister would react to me hauling my dirty clothes to her house in Dallas, and running a few loads during our Christmas festivities?

FINAL COUNTDOWN DEUX

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

CHRISTMASY TO-DO'S