But the fire is so delightful...

Well, my prayers have been answered! I woke up this morning to wintery world of white... it SNOWED last night! And not just a lame dusting of snow either. We've got about 2-3 inches on the ground. Here's the view from our bedroom window this morning...

I'm guessing this little bird wasn't counting on such a cold morning for west Texas. This may be the most snow this area has seen in a long time. And it's still snowing... I like to think it's for me, and my appreciation of winter weather. There's nothing like discovering a snowy morning when everyone's still sleeping, and it's quiet and white outside. Makes me feel like I'm 10 years old again, leaning on the back of the couch staring out the big picture window in the living room, hoping to hear that school's cancelled. However, I'm 30, and work's not cancelled cuz I only have to travel to the office 5 feet away from my living room. Well, at least I get paid for this. :)

Joseph opened our front door this morning to find a large tumbleweed covered in snow- proof that we're definitely in TX, not magically transported back to snowy Ohio.

They decorate these here as western "Christmas Trees", which I think is kinda funny, but then if there aren't that many trees around, you make do with what's available.

Our Thanksgiving and weekend was wonderful, and relaxing. Had an early morning last Thursday... up at 5am to get bird dressed and in the oven. Next year I'm definitely dressing it the night before- I'm getting too old for this early morning crap. It came out tasty though, and the morning was complete with a phone call from Erin, my Thanksgiving day cooking companion. We talk each year on that morning to get last minute tips, and generally enjoy the moments. We had 7 here for T-day dinner, and were thoroughly stuffed by the time it was over. Everything was delicious, and we had a good time with our friends. There's some pictures of the event on our homepage (see link at right).

Joseph and I left Friday morning for Ruidoso to spend the rest of the weekend. We had a really good time, visiting the local shops and spending time together. Found one of the coolest pottery places there; this guy was really skilled in throwing clay on the wheel. We bought one of his pieces, and I hope to collect some more. I love hand-thrown pottery... and I love spending time hanging out with Joe. We also got to ride horses while there, which was a lot of fun. I haven't been on a horse since I was 12 when I went riding down at Mohican with my Dad. It was kinda surprising what a little more maturity will do for your confidence around horses. This time was much more fun, and I wasn't as scared of falling off at any second. The mountain trail we took through the woods reminded me of some old western movie, which was kind of ironic since we had just watched Gunsmoke that morning on TV. All in all, good times.

Well, tonight is going to be one for the cozy fireplace, and fuzzy slippers, while I enjoy my brief winter wonderland.

"Two on the hill..."

Strange title you may think, but my grandpa used to always say this whenever a gun was mentioned in the conversation, so naturally this should be the title of this post. Why? you may ask? Well, because this past weekend I shot a gun for the first time- for purely recreational reasons. So don't start thinking that there were burglars, gang violence, or other disharmony to our lives. And actually I didn't shoot just 'a' gun, but five total: a 12-gauge shotgun, a 20-gauge shotgun, a 410, a 44 magnum, and a 32-caliber handgun. Joseph and I went down to Midland to a friend's parent's house, and did a little skeet shooting, and some target practice. I went along for the experience, not expecting to really participate. Turns out I hit my first clay on the third shot, which I thought was decent considering it was my first time to aim a gun and shoot. I'm actually not too bad at skeet shooting, and I have to admit it was pretty fun. Of course, I don't think this means that I've found a new hobby, just a fun experience.

I also went to the grocery store this weekend with everyone else in Lubbock apparently to get groceries for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. I guess I didn't really expect to beat the rush, but I was hoping... oh well, it's done now, and all that's left is the cooking. woohoo!

Another Monday.

Well, this weekend was productive for us, though not too relaxing. Joseph built doors for our bookshelf that he also built in September. They're really great looking and have some neat decorative trim on each door. We still need to stain it to match the rest of the bookshelf, but I'll upload a picture as soon as it's finished.

I continued to work on the chair re-upholstery. Can't wait til that's done. The folks at the Singer Sewing Center helped point me in the right direction with a zipper foot, that allowed me to get a nice close seam on the cording for the chair. I'm feeling much more confident because of it, and the end is in site. Just have the side and back panels left, and the decorative pillows, which I should be able to finish this week in the evenings. I'll upload a picture of that as well when it's finished.

The bummer part of the weekend was getting some sort of stomach flu late Friday night, which did not lead to a comfortable night's sleep or remainder of the weekend, but then also helped with the weight-loss, so there's the upside. :) We're both feeling better this morning, though still a little cautious.

Last night we went shopping for our Operation Christmas Child gift boxes. We're doing one girl box, and one boy box. It's a program headed by Franklin Graham (son of Billy Graham), and they have the public assemble a shoe box of miscellaneous toys, and necessities for impoverished children around the world. It was a lot of fun coming up with fun things for the kids, as well as the practical toothbrush and toothpaste.

Lots to accomplish this week in preparation for next week's Thanksgiving. Can't wait to get that bird in the oven. I'll keep you updated as time allows...

...for a while longer.

Well, it's official- I get to keep my job, and continue to working from home for SherWare. This is good news for us, and I'm extremely grateful and relieved. The deal was when we moved to Lubbock, that I could work from home on a trial basis, and we would re-evaluate the arrangement after 90 days. Well, the 90 days is here, and my boss informed me yesterday that he's pleased, which makes us very pleased.

In other news, we're continuing to work on re-upholstering our chair, and were able to make much progress on it Saturday night. It's been a lesson in working together for me. I realized that I take a lot of pride in accomplishing something myself, independently. And, I think, too much pride. I'm learning that I can get a lot more done, if I let my husband help me, instead of wanting to do it on my own always, and therefore get all the applause and appreciation and not have to share it with anyone else. So, turns out, I'm acting like a three-year-old once again, and need to grow up. We were able to get so much more done on Saturday, than I have been able to do by myself. Joseph, thank you for being gracious to me as I learn to share this life with you. I turned 30, and I'm still learning to "play nice with others". This truly is a life-long journey.

Peaceful

Right now I'm listening to my new CD, Chris Botti's 'December', and it's perfect. I bought this CD for my parents a few years ago, and have been missing it since I left Ohio, so I requested it for my birthday this year. And my dear friend, Erin, has been gracious to give. This morning the temperature is about 42F, and generally gray outside. The coffee's brewing, and the music is playing softly, and it's Friday. It's a peaceful start to the weekend, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

Had to get out the down comforter last night. We've consistently been hitting 32F overnight here, and the summer quilt's just not cuttin' it. It was like cuddling up with an old friend- I love that comforter. Hm... would you cuddle up with an old friend though in reality? Probably not really cuddle, so maybe that's a bad analogy. crap. Well, it was nice, and I think you get my point.

We went to a corn maze last night with some friends. This thing is huge! I've never gone on a corn maze at night, but it was fun. And cold. I underestimated how cool it would be, and didn't quite dress warm enough. And we ate at Roly Poly last night- one of my favorites. Of course all of that reminded me of eating at Roly Poly in Lexington, and Savannah with my girlfriends, and that muddy corn maze we did in KY. Good times.

Ran out of room in my stomach for the Maple Macchiato on Monday, so Joseph and I are headed there tomorrow morning, and I'm sure it will be lovely. What a good life this is.