It Is November After All

When I got up this morning and saw the fog, that was my first thought. It is November and this looks more like it. The warm pretty fall days are going to be just a memory real soon. I hear the wind as I speak, no make that type. It is getting cold and the days are looking gloomy.

But we have much to be thankful for. Florida isn't underwater yet due to global warming. But that might be something to hope for with 2008 election close at hand. Am I clever or what?

Seriously folks, I am thankful for family, friends, our health, and new things everyday. Happy Thanksgiving.

According to my daily read of the Writer's Almanac, this week is the birthday of George Gallup who was born in Iowa and attended the University there. His first poll was for the college newspaper on who was the prettiest girl on campus. That was someone named Ophelia Smith and he later married her. Now you all learned something today, too.

For My Birthday

I had a great birthday weekend. On Saturday, Bob & I drove to a wildlife refuge in Missouri to see the migrating waterfowl. On Sunday, Bob made dinner for the whole family, and we had cake and ice cream. Then Adam & I went to "Spamalot". It was so entertaining. It was part of the Broadway in Omaha series and was here for a week at the Orpheum. Live theater is so fun.

On Monday, I had lunch with a couple of friends. We went to a place called "Come Into My Kitchen" It's a very chic little lunch place in a cottage on Leavenworth St.
After we were seated, a waitress came by carrying a vase of flowers and asked if anyone was named Shirley. The flowers were for me. Adam had sent them. We had a great lunch and much laughing and fun.

Oh yes, and wasn't it nice that the Huskers won this week.

Birthday Weekend

Hello -- I am having a birthday weekend because as luck would have it -- I was born right by a legal holiday. So I get a 3 day weekend for my birthday. Isn't that neat?

First -- remember all veterans please. I work with quite a few Vietnam vets and others, too, and have made a point of saying something to the ones I am around on this day each year. Saying "Happy Veterans Day" sounds pretty lame, so I don't do that. On Friday night as I was checking out, I told coworker, Jim, "have a good weekend, a nice Veteran's Day, and thank you for defending our country." He simply said "your welcome." That was humbling.

We had some cake this evening and Bob made us dinner. Then Adam and I went to see the Broadway show, Spamalot. It was all good.

Tomorrow for my birthday -- I am having my teeth cleaned, lunch with friends, and a committee meeting in the evening.

Time Change

Last Sunday is one of my most favorite days of the year. The day when Daylight Savings Time ends and we get to "fall back." I don't change my clocks until at least the evening, if not the next day, just so I can look at it, and think "huh, it's really not that late."

Now -- in contrast -- today is one of my least favorites. Because it's the day to go back to work after the time change. And -- all day -- I think, " it feels like it should be later." And of course, it gets dark pretty early now, too.

I think Mother used to say "you can't win for losing." What does that mean? Is it applicable here?

Gender Lesson

As I am writing this, my husband is talking to the dog as if she is human. (We like our animals here.) He is asking her if she really needs to go outside right now and is telling her that if she is just going out to mess around and not go potty, there will be consequences.

While Cassie and Alex's cat was living with us, there was some confusion with the animals. You see Bob does not use the right pronouns to describe the animals. Which really doesn't matter, because everyone is fixed anyway. I'm not sure of the criteria he uses to determine what animal is he or she -- most of the family has just gotten used to this.

Alex is not going to go along with this. He knows who is what and has illustrated this for us and posted it on the refrigerator. (See drawing.) Note: the cat with the striped tail is our Milo and he is "he". The cat without stripes or coloring is Harley-Girl and is "she". The animal saying 'bark" -- that's Maggie --"she".

Alex is an artist like his mother, isn't he?