I made Shrimp, Brussles Sprouts, Ramen noodles


Some sense of winter upon us; I got up on Friday and the back deck thermometer read 13 degrees F. Since them some coolness out. Today, Sunday, sunny, maybe 50 degrees, a day off from work, Jim at home, too.

Wednesday evening, after work, out with Joy, Alan, Vicki to a red-neck bar in Lyndon, Illinois (population 600) for food and beer; then, Thursday, the day off, turkey at home for Thanksgiving with Jim. Time whizzing by in increments of weeks, paydays, come and go. Plants, tender ones, have been moved inside to sunny windows; a trial to find enough sun for Helenium seedlings, doing the best I can.

Not much from my kids...a quick chat with Lauren on Yahoo from time to time but no depth and she often wanders off, parental duties, so I mostly give up. Matt phones from time to time and that's nice. Odd calm--like bordem--this weekend off. The kitchen sink leaked so Jim fixed it, leftovers for dinner because the sink was in the repair. He's so quiet it's like being alone, only a constant din of tv in the living room, crime drama, doctor shows, me at my computer, the day goes by. To bed early tonight as I will get up early to get off to work.

near mid-November, a day off...rain coming

Ascelpias (butterfly flower) seed fluff

The second of two days off from work in a row. I raked then hosed off the back deck, a clean slate, moving this year's pots to the garage...it looks good. A second, rare second cup of coffee just now, normally only a wake-up cup. The sky is slatey, grey, rain coming, not brrrrr! cold, about 60 degrees F.

Not so depressed today as idle. Some "exile" sense again, strongly, my southern Californian connections rearing up. Lauren's Meg is four years old today, a party for her on Sunday; it'd be nice to be there...or on a beach, some place with vistas.

Minor dilemma: I planted Helenium seeds in September, they sprouted, but I'm not sure they can survive outside; inside, difficult to find a place for them with good light. I planted three Lowe's bargain, end of the season daylilies yesterday, called "Final Touch" pink, yellow, green throat.

what happened to October?

Obama Elected! I'm so used to waking up from election eves to utter dissapointment, it's an unusal, even caustious feeling I have. Stem cell research, a belief in global warming, some possible curtailment to wars, inclusion, global community, they seem within grasp.

The first snow flurries today, some vast, plentiful, as I entered Hy-Vee super market; winter's here. My tender plants have been brought indoors, squished in the few bright windows available...orchids and epiphyllums from Matt, others, geraniums, I hope they find some comfort and prosper.

Work as always, weary just now from a string of openings, up at 4:30am to awaken, have coffe, get to work by 6:30am.

Kids afar, Lauren and her family are just back from Orlando DisneyWorld, a sort of annual Rosenbaum Family reunion; Matt, built a new elegant greenhouse for his orchids, his enthusiasm so pleasant when he talks about his plants, their color and fragrance; that's good for me to hear. All of them voted for Obama, Lauren for sure, but my feeling that for Matthew it was "iffy" but he did it and did it for the right reasons.





Last month a trip to Chicago, the Art Institute, the "Bean" at Millenium Park, Frank Gerhy Pavilion, too, with Jim, the roommate, a very nice trip via Amtrak from Galesburg to Chicago, roundtrip.