Early Shopping

 

My daughter and I went Christmas shopping at Cincinnati's Findlay Market yesterday.  There are about fifty permanent vendors plus seasonal vendors as well.  There's a lot going on.

One of our favorite places is actually across the street, a delightful store called Bee Haven.  Lots of bee related items like honey,  beeswax candles, salves, and bar lotions.  And a few other goodies like handmade cards, cool stickers, and local jams.

The flower above is one of the pretty beeswax candles. wrapped in red tissue paper.  I know just who will love it!

And then we went to the art museum, which had a holiday artist bazaar.  So many artists, nice music, and quite a crowd.  We came home without anything, but it was fun to admire so many nice things.

Three Seasons

The last of the red geranium blooms.  Snow.  Pumpkin.

The weather app says it's 28 degrees tonight, feels like 19.  On Saturday the high will be 66.  That's just how November is here.

I had a day trip scheduled for today but because it was snowing the trip was postponed until tomorrow.  That was fine with me.  Because I've been busy things were in a bit of a mess and I needed today at home.

I ordered more window candles and now I have a candle in every window.  It's my November way of feeling better as the days get darker. They will stay in place until the days start getting noticeably longer, or until I get tired of them, which ever comes first.  I usually don't get tired of them.

I have oatmeal chocolate chip cookies to take tomorrow.  Best cookies ever, except for Diana's 1-2-3 Snap brownie recipe made with Eagle Brand milk.  Google it.  You will love it.

I Did A Thing

 

So, I did a thing.

I've been exercising recently at a clinic in the same building as my primary care doctor.  It's been great, I've learned some new exercises and become comfortable on some of the machines.

It's on a month-to-month renewal, and at the end of the month I decided to switch to something closer to home.  The commute was about forty minutes, and like other medical offices we were supposed to check in fifteen minutes early.

This week I joined my local Y, and I think that will be a good option going forward.  It's ten minutes away and I can do the exercises at home and the machines there.  Silver Sneakers pays for my membership as part of my Medicare Advantage plan.  And at the time when I go, it isn't busy.

I'll probably even sign up for a class, who knows.

I'm not concerned about motivation because I've been doing exercises at home for ages.  What I really need to add is the cardio, and this should work well.

Christmas Cactus

 

Yesterday the Christmas cactus came inside.  The evening had the season's first frost warning.

During the summer it lives in a shady area on the back porch, largely neglected except for minimal watering and a few doses of Miracle Grow.  And it thrives.

My aunt and uncle had a huge Christmas cactus in their glassed-in entry way, and I always admired it.  Always wanted one like it.

It wasn't until I had a shady back porch for summer and a north east facing window for the other seasons that I had one that happily grew.

Now we'll see how and when it blooms.  Last year, I think, it was around Thanksgiving.

Just Two

 There were just two Trick or Treaters who arrived together last night.  The bowl remains full.  

Had I known that there would be no more, their haul would have been spectacular.

My daughter's neighborhood had about 150.  The neighbors get together at the start of their cul de sac with candy for the kids and snacks for themselves.  It's an event.

This morning is unusually quiet.  It's forty degrees.  The dog walkers must be postponing their walks until later. The construction workers the next street over have a day off.  There is little traffic noise from the interstate near by.  No one is up early to mow their yards.  So quiet.