Ok, my day wasn't THAT different.
But who doesn't love a good dose of John Cleese? And yes, that's a fish in the video! And no, it's not the only fish in this post. Keep reading...
Normally on a Friday morning I'd bound out of bed, pull on some running clothes, and get in a few miles before work. In fact, Fridays are usually speedwork days, so those miles are my toughest of the week.
But last week was a half marathon, and next week is Thanksgiving.
So interval training is not on the schedule this week, but housecleaning and yardwork are.
I've got company coming over for turkey on Thursday, and my mother instilled in me a strong sense that one must scrub behind the refrigerator before guests arrive for the holidays. Ok. Maybe I'm not interested in that level of clean, but leaves will be raked and floors will be washed.
I decided to push my run back to a lunchtime 3-miler and spend the morning
Fortunately or unfortunately, I went a little hog-wild at the store and bought a lovely new kumquat tree. Many varieties of citrus, for those of you from cold climates, are actually winter-ripening crops. So with any luck, I'll have kumquats for Christmas!
Hello fresh citrus!
I also intended to get some pretty autumn flowers for the doorstep and dining room to make it look festive for Thanksgiving.
This is what I had in mind:
But then I saw these lovely poinsettias.
And my Thanksgiving-themed plans went right out the window...
...along with my deep aversion to anything Christmas-oriented before the turkey is served.
Seriously.
Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving make me crazy. (Maybe too many years working retail?)
But I broke down and bent my own rule.
After all...
Thanksgiving flowers will look out-of-date six days from now.
Whereas these babies will look great for the next six weeks!
So I bought an armload of poinsettias. Then I planted, and re-potted, and watered, and raked leaves.
I wrapped up the yardwork in time for a 10am conference call, and worked my "day job" until 2. I took a late lunch and went out for an afternoon run. (I can't remember my last lunchtime run!)
It.
Felt.
GREAT.
This afternoon's run was one of those runs that remind me why I love this sport. The sun was shining. A cool breeze was blowing. My feet felt light -- I didn't need to tell them where to go, they just flew all on their own.
And speaking of flying... My timing this afternoon was just about perfect. As I was rounding the bend for home, a neighbor waved me over. (I really didn't want to stop. I felt that good! Plus, my workday doesn't end at 2... I had to get back to my desk!) But the neighbor insisted, and for good reason: there was an osprey eating its lunch - a very fresh fish - in a treetop overhead!
Apparently the osprey didn't like her growing audience, so she flew away to finish her sushi elsewhere. Seeing the bird and chatting with my neighbor were highlights of an already awesome lunchtime run. (I didn't run with my camera, but she looked just like this...)
When I got home a few minutes later, my doorstep was like a little slice of the holidays.
To hell with rules about no Christmas decorations mid-November.
My new flowers look great!
(But Santa at the mall the day after Halloween? I'm still not ok with that!)
Do you have strong feelings about the "right" time to start decorating for the holidays?
Any wild animal sightings this week?
I also intended to get some pretty autumn flowers for the doorstep and dining room to make it look festive for Thanksgiving.
This is what I had in mind:
But then I saw these lovely poinsettias.
...along with my deep aversion to anything Christmas-oriented before the turkey is served.
Seriously.
Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving make me crazy. (Maybe too many years working retail?)
But I broke down and bent my own rule.
After all...
Thanksgiving flowers will look out-of-date six days from now.
Whereas these babies will look great for the next six weeks!
So I bought an armload of poinsettias. Then I planted, and re-potted, and watered, and raked leaves.
I wrapped up the yardwork in time for a 10am conference call, and worked my "day job" until 2. I took a late lunch and went out for an afternoon run. (I can't remember my last lunchtime run!)
It.
Felt.
GREAT.
This afternoon's run was one of those runs that remind me why I love this sport. The sun was shining. A cool breeze was blowing. My feet felt light -- I didn't need to tell them where to go, they just flew all on their own.
And speaking of flying... My timing this afternoon was just about perfect. As I was rounding the bend for home, a neighbor waved me over. (I really didn't want to stop. I felt that good! Plus, my workday doesn't end at 2... I had to get back to my desk!) But the neighbor insisted, and for good reason: there was an osprey eating its lunch - a very fresh fish - in a treetop overhead!
Apparently the osprey didn't like her growing audience, so she flew away to finish her sushi elsewhere. Seeing the bird and chatting with my neighbor were highlights of an already awesome lunchtime run. (I didn't run with my camera, but she looked just like this...)
When I got home a few minutes later, my doorstep was like a little slice of the holidays.
To hell with rules about no Christmas decorations mid-November.
My new flowers look great!
(But Santa at the mall the day after Halloween? I'm still not ok with that!)
Do you have strong feelings about the "right" time to start decorating for the holidays?
Any wild animal sightings this week?
I'm definitely adhere to the no Christmas before thanksgiving rule, but your door step looks super pretty....so I might have to pretend that Poinsettas are "winter" flowers, not "Christmas" flowers and do something different.
ReplyDeleteAgree about Santa at the mall though!
Have a great weekend!
I think you should decorate when you want to do it. It's your home and I think you should decorate when you like. If it's rushed it will show in the design. So whenever time allows, is the best time to decorate :). And I know it will be spectacular when you decorate.
ReplyDelete