I don’t actually keep a diary, but if I did, some current entries might look like this:
October 29-We were in Fort Worth to see Peter’s last soccer game. The camera on my phone had stopped working, and April took me to the AT&T store to get a new phone. It came with a new cord and plug and new ear buds. The ear buds were all wrapped nicely and tucked in a little plastic case sort of thing. And I wondered what workers were employed to insert the ear buds into the holder and wind the cord around the holder before putting the cover on. It seemed like monotonous work. I don’t know who they are, but they are much more accomplished at it than I, as you can clearly see here by my dismal attempt to do it myself.

This is actually a re-enactment. I said, “I need to take a picture of you pretending to be asleep.” You can tell by the grin that he’s not really snoozing.
November 4-I picked Peter up at school, and we began the drive back to Waco. As we started down the interstate, he said, “What’s that sound, Mimi?” And I began to explain the sounds of the tires on the road, and how, when he was driving with Mom or Dad, around town, the car was going more slowly, and the tires didn’t make much noise. But, because we were driving faster, they made a louder, different kind of sound. He didn’t respond, and I glanced back at him. Yes, I had bored him to sleep.
November 16-The tree that always drops its leaves into the next door neighbor’s yard has turned and begun dropping leaves. As usual, I’ve tried to keep up, but I then got sick and stayed in for a few days. When I went out into the garage on Thursday, I looked out and saw that the tree had done a cartoon-style leaf drop.
- Fwump! Almost overnight, all the leaves have fallen from this tree!
- And overnight the wind blew all the leaves over onto HER yard! (you can see by the edge of the sidewalk). It looks like I got up in the middle of the night and raked all the leaves over to her yard.
- I saw her walking her dog and walked over to express my dismay at what happened. She pooh-poohed it. “My yard guy’s coming tomorrow,” she said. “I’ll tell him to mow over it a few times. It’ll all be mulched into the lawn.” She’s the BEST neighbor!
- But I did notice how there are still lots of my leaves in the gutter on the right side of our driveway,
- …and the left…
- …and across the street.
November 22-I got ready to leave to run errands. I stepped out to get the mail, before I left, and saw, Ollie, Mollie, Gollie! A monarch. (We’ve had what seems like an unusual number of butterflies migrating through the area this fall.)
- Monarch liftoff!
- Getting closer…
- A good angle to see how banged up this butterfly is. Bird bite? Thorn tear? I hope he makes it to Mexico.
After the photoshoot, I went off to shop.
- At the grocery store, I parked right next to, yes indeed, the most popular car ever, the model I used to drive. (A little truncated, since I didn’t get to Jeremy in time to blur the license plate.)
- I pulled in to the parking space almost nose to nose with the grey version of my car.
November 30-I posted the picture on the left early in November, taking about fall. I mentioned that I bought the plant because I liked its leaves and was startled to know it was a chrysanthemum. Here, on the right, is what it looks like in full bloom. Tiny little yellow flowers. Cute, but I still appreciate it for its pretty leaves instead.
- I bought this sweet thing years ago. When I checked out, I asked what it was and the salesclerk said, “Chrysanthemum.” “Oh,” I said, disappointed. “I bought it because I liked the foliage.” “Then enjoy it for the foliage,” she said. Those little buds will be the flowers it produces. And they aren’t at all much bigger than the buds. So, I *am* enjoying it for the foliage.
- Here are its flowers in full bloom. Cute and tiny, but I like it for its leaves.
From dawn until sunset
the name of the Lord
deserves to be praised.
Psalm 113:3 (Contemporary English Version)
I’m grateful for the dawn and the sunset, and everything in between. Both halves. Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Thanks for sharing your blog. I enjoy it more every week. A great way to see what you’re doing.
Thanks. Hope things are going well out there in California.
We have had many more butterflies this year also! It has really been nice! It’s going to be 85 degrees here today and we may see some more, but just 45 tomorrow so I hope they get away in time!
I know! Seventy-something today and thirty-something tomorrow!
Meanwhile, I hope you have safe tap water now.