Autumn Scatter!

My neighbor has a beautiful maple in his back garden that he planted when his daughter was born. She’s in uni now, which I’m in denial about. Totes. It hangs over our mutual fence like and old friend ready for a good gossip. Each year in November, this tree goddess scatters her bright, golden leaves over my yard like a blessing. Just to the right of these stairs, from the back of the house to the back of the yard, is a thick carpet of leaves. Yet, until three days ago, she still had a full set of leaves on her branches even though my back garden was covered. She is a fecund breed of maple.

She has finally bared her branches, but four inches of snow came along last night before I had a chance to apply rake to grass. They might be there ’til spring.

Now. Where was I?

City Kitty has come and gone. We had a lovely week together. I knew she was feeling perfectly secure when she thumped down the stairs to the kitchen one evening while I was cooking and started kitchen bitchin’. I think she was interested in what was wafting up the stairs, but I can’t imagine why. No fish was involved.

I tried to teach her how to use the fancy new scratching post by demonstrating myself. Yes, I literally ran my nails up and down the post. It reminded me of when G-Man taught pup Ms. Merlin the Magician to bark by getting on all fours and trotting to the door and barking himself. It will always remain one of my fondest memories of my relatively new husband. This might have been the year he moved from annual renewal to permanent status on our anniversary. That moment right there screamed he’s a keeper!

City Kitty was having none of it. She preferred the carpet where it met the den door. And the cosmetic covering under my box spring. Stealth kitty. I never heard her. We had to establish some City Kitty-free zones.

We cooked. We cuddled. All was good… until it was time to travel home. That’s another post.

I was downtown this week for a boo at the Hudson’s Bay annual holiday windows, which is now Hudson’s Bay and Saks Fifth Avenue’s holiday windows. They don’t call them Christmas windows anymore. They were beautiful. Lots of woodland scenes with fat, round animals. It was a rainy day. Perfect for city strolling and having a bit of lunch.

My painting strategy for the living and dining room has been set. It starts Monday. Yes, I needed a strategy. This is a 1756 square foot house. Those rooms get a lot of use. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Painting with the least amount of disruption is the game plan.  Woot! I’m excited… and chained to the paint.

Oh, I’m also deep into Hallmark Christmas movies from the library. They are my destresser of choice. And community libraries rock!

Tell me what you’ve been doing.

Happy weekend, y’all.

Time to scram. Vamoose. Hightail it out of here.

You know what to do. Meet you in the bar in 3…2…1…

Elen