We Need A Little Christmas!

Haul out the holly
Put up the tree before my spirit falls again
Fill up the stocking
I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now

For we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
Candles in the window
Carols at the spinet
Yes, we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
Hasn't snowed a single flurry, but Santa dear we're in a hurry

Climb down the chimney
Turn on the brightest string of lights I've ever seen
Slice up the fruit cake
It's time we've hung some tinsel on the evergreen bough

For I've grown a little leaner
Grown a little colder
Grown a little sadder
Grown a little older
And I need a little angel
Sitting on my shoulder
Need a little Christmas now

For we need a little music
Need a little laughter
Need a little singing, ringing through the rafter
And we need a little snappy
Happy ever after
Need a little Christmas now
 

Weekly Wrap-Up!!

*Got absentee ballots in the mail.  B and I filled them out, signed them and then B dropped them off at the Township Office in person. Will be happy when this is over.  We are so tired of the political calls on the phone and ads on the tv .

*Put snow shovel and broom on front porch by front door in preparation for accumulating snow.

*Schwan food order came in.  Freezer filled with food for winter as well as coming holidays.  Pantry is full in preparation for winter during the pandemic.

*Tried a new recipe for a meatless dish.  I made a chinese vegetable side dish which can also be turned into an entree by adding shrimp and rice. B is my taste tester since he is the picky one in the family.  Dil does not eat meat so I have been looking for and making meatless side dishes and entrees.

*Firewood, newspaper and fireplace matches are all refilled and ready for cold winter nights.  Also, flannel sheets put on all the beds as well as extra quilts.

*Took my cat Al to the vet for his yearly checkup and vaccinations.  He is in good health and has started cuddling with me again after avoiding me for a couple hours after the shots. Also, dil clipped his nails.  It is amazing to me how he just sits there and lets her do it without giving her a hassle.

*Took youngest son to the dentist for a root canal.  Going to the dentist is quite expensive these days.  Thank goodness for dental insurance.

Escape

This year has been one of cancellations, disruptions, upheavels of all kinds and anger.  There is so much going on between a pandemic, a faltering economy, cruel and bullying attacks during a presidential election, people turning against each other over so many things.  It makes one wonder why getting out of bed each morning is necessary.

Yesterday (Sunday) I decided that I needed to be part of something that never changes.  Something that comes at the same time each year without fail.  Something that even a pandemic cannot cancel.  Yesterday I went out for a walk on my road and immersed myself in Autumn.

I walked down my dirt road and looked at the trees covered in their Autumn colors of red, gold and green.  I felt the chill of the changing temperature fill my lungs.  I watched and listened as a flock of geese in "V" formation flew across the blue sky toward their winter home south.  I enjoyed the quite solitude that comes when one lets the world of nature push away the "noise" of 2020.

I eventually had to come home from my walk; but for one brief hour, it was good to be surrounded by something that had not been canceled or postponed, something that had not changed because of disease or the self-centered meanness of others.  I am certain I will take many of these walks in the future, if only to remind myself that there are things that remain constant in this world.

Autumn

Well, Autumn is here in the UP!  It is time to enjoy the beautiful colors that come with the change of season.  It is also the time to do all those tasks to prepare for the coming months of cold and snowy weather.

We began our annual Autumn tasks by straightening up and cleaning the garage.  It is amazing what can be accumulated over the summer months.  However, room had to be made for all the summer things being put away.  

Once the garage was prepared, we took all the outdoor furniture off both the front and back decks, storing them in the garage until next spring.

Then we tacked down an indoor/outdoor carpet runner on the front deck making a path from the front door to the steps.  The deck gets extremely slippery during the winter and the carpet runner makes for a safer walk to the driveway.

Plastic outside insulation was tacked up on a number of windows on the house specifically those that get the most wind during winter.

Plants and bushes were trimmed down to their winter growth and bird feeders were hung in places easier to get to after the snow comes.

The snowblower was sent out to be repaired. 

In the coming weeks, I will be going thru the freezer and pantry to see what items need to be replaced and/or added.  Also, summer clothes will be put away and winter items will come out.  Anything that needs to be repaired or replaced will be done then.

My craft box which contains everything I have been saving for the cold indoor days and nights has been organized and my piles of books (which seems to grow constantly) are at the ready.
 

Update

 Between...

                  Covid19 Pandemic
                  Presidential Election Politics
                  Natural Disasters

I find that I am at a loss of what to share on this blog.  I am more content
to focus on my family and friends during this time and wait until life resumes
some normalcy in the future.