Ah, glorious Tuesday afternoon

Having just returned from teaching a class, I find myself enjoying what may well be the perfect afternoon...

• The sun is out, shining brightly through the yellow and orange leaves still hanging onto thier trees... I've said it before, and I'll say it again. This is the most colorful and beautiful fall season I've enjoyed here in Spokane. The combination of no freezing temperatures and lots of sunshine have painted everything in fiery hues and it seems to just go on and on. I'm savoring it all, for I know winter is just around the corner, with it's grey days and weeks when the temperature stays below freezing.
• I'm sitting on the deck, equipped with my laptop and a plate full of pumpkin pie. Gracie sits at my feet chewing on pine needles and maple seedpods. I love the clinky sound of her tag...
• The kids won't be home for over an hour, and I've got two new magazines and a catalog to look at.
• The only thing wrong is that with the angle I'm sitting at, I can see my reflection in my computer screen and I'm disturbed by my double chin. Is that what I look like? (Because when I primp and prepare for the day, it's not there.) Apparently this angle at which I view the screen is not the most flattering one I could assume. I'll have to be certain to go about my day with my chin up and neck muscles taut... one more thing to suck up...
• I need to get to the car and empty out my hidden stash of S.'s birthday presents. She wants to re-do her room for her birthday. We decorated it in it's current state when she was three -- she'll be nine next month, so it's time. Yesterday as I was shopping at Target, I came across the cutest line of blue and green bedroom coordinates... I bought a whole cart full of blankets and pillows and accessories. I can't wait to paint and put it all together. For now though, I just need to find a place to hide it... The bags are big and my kids are snoopy. There must be a place I can stash it all in the basement... ah ha! I'll stick it under the stairs with the Christmas decorations - nobody ever looks in there - it's dark and scary.
• Asia called this morning from Seattle. He was stuck in traffic - just like he was last night when he called. I answered the phone, only to hear him growl, "Why would anyone ever choose to live here?" I don't know, honey. We are so spoiled in Spokane... we complain when we have to drive all the way to the North Side, which is a whole ten miles from the South Hill, where we live. And forget about the Valley - that'll take fifteen minutes!!! We really are blessed with little to no traffic, beautiful weather (no rain!) and lots of great family oriented events - it's a perfect place to live... Seattle may have the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, great shopping and Ikea, but we don't have to spend hours in the car each week just getting from one place to another... I'll take little forgotten Spokane any day.
• Feeding the kids with Daddy out of town is such an adventure. We take all sorts of assorted favorites and assemble them into makeshift meals that would never be up to muster with the big guy... Popcorn, yogurt and granola, toast and apples. It's a fun little break for all of us and they seem to enjoy being naughty mice while the cat's away. We have loads of fun together. My meal plan is put on hold until he gets back - a fun little reprieve.

Well, my time is running short and I want to make good use of this lovely afternoon, so I'm off...

By the way - I know there are several of you who visit often and never comment. I'm watching you... say hello sometime. I don't bite, I promise... In fact I will consider you a fast friend - comments are a quick and easy way into my heart.