Vanessa’s dog, Pixel, is visiting for the weekend. Vanessa and her boyfriend, Rick, are in town to visit family and friends and Pixel is here to spend the weekend with Murphy. It really works out well since Pixel has been here many times previously and likes to hang out with Murphy. If I have to go anywhere I can put both of them out back where they run around/lay around and bark at anyone who dares to come near my house. Pixel thinks he’s on vacation since there’s also an unlimited supply of food and treats!

My gardener stopped by today to spread winter grass seed and manure all over the front lawn. P-U! It will be rather smelly out there for a week or so, but the nice green grass all winter will be worth it. Last year we were working on the Christmas street decorations when this happened. I am sooo glad to have my weekends and evenings free this year to do whatever I want to do. It was great to have the new decorations last year, but I’m very grateful this won’t be happening again anytime soon.

Took down the Halloween decorations today, but will leave up all the Fall stuff until the weekend after Thanksgiving…and then it will be time to start in on the Christmas stuff. Am going to try to do a lot of the inside stuff that weekend (other than the tree) and then do the outside lights, wreaths, etc. the first weekend in December. We have to have the street decorations and lights up by 12/8, so this will give me almost 3 weekends to get it all finished. And then I can relax…and bake cookies, and go shopping, and wrap presents, etc, etc, etc!

When I think about all this, I guess it really isn’t too early for all the Christmas ads that have started on tv.