Enjoying the Small Things in Life

Over the last couple of weeks, I've been able to make lots of progress on the stairwell to the basement. It was just a shell, basically nothing more than the frame and outside walls and roof. My vision was to put in insulation then cover that with plywood, which would give me a much more functional space. Sometimes when I see a space that's not being used for anything I get a little verklempt. Unused space is a waste. 

So I went to work and this is what I now have (yes, I totally neglected to do before pictures). I'm able to hang a lot of my garden tools in this space, freeing up area in the garage. I'm thinking I might also hang my bike here, moving it out of the guest bedroom. I'm so loving having this space be functional. And the doors. Painting them then hanging them to replace the awful doors is like the icing on the cake.

A few weeks ago, I guess more like a month ago now, my brother and sister-in-law stopped by on their way home from visiting their daughter in Nebraska. We had a wonderful visit. Before they arrived, my brother texted me about going to dinner here where I live. I laughed. I live in a food desert. There are no restaurants close by. The nearest is a bar that serves greasy bar food, and it's seven miles away. We ended up going to a restaurant right off the highway so they could jump back on easily and finish up their drive for the day without having to deal with the country roads after dark.

My brother reminds me so much of my dad. He's such a kind, soft-spoken person. Right after we went into lockdown back in March 2020 and the stock market took a hit, I texted him in a panic over my IRA tanking. Rather than text me back, he called me and talked me away from the ledge, telling me to just ride it out, that things would be fine. He was right. My IRA stabilized and bounced back nicely. I so appreciate him and all the advice he gives. Being able to see him and my sister-in-law for a couple hours was absolutely wonderful.

We've been having gorgeous fall weather. Back in October we had quite a few days of rain and thunderstorms, so much so that I was constantly checking the basement for water. Thankfully I didn't have any. As soon as November showed up, the weather changed. Brisk but sunny. Last week we had several nights of frost. The maples are red-orange, the fields are harvested, and at night I've been able to enjoy watching Venus in the southwestern sky. I drove to Springfield to visit Lovely Beautiful Daughter a couple of weeks ago, and on the way back, I saw the best starling murmuration I've ever seen. There were two distinct groups, and one group crossed the sky to merge with the other group. Seriously, it was stunning. One of my life goals is to get a video of a starling murmuration. They mesmerize me.

Now I'm getting my living space prepped for cold weather. The fluffy, warm fleece throws have been pulled out and draped over the couch and my favorite chair. The candles are on the fireplace mantel and desk. And the thick quilt is on the bed. I tend to keep the house on the cool side, around 63, which has caused a problem for me when I go to work. I roast. In my office and in the classroom, both are just too warm for me, and I'm pretty sure they're controlled at 72 or so. That's not hot, but I've acclimated to a much cooler temperature and anything above 65 feels too warm.

Most mornings, the boys and I tromp across the field behind the house. I put Ado on a long lead and let Murphy go to his heart's content. He just runs and runs and runs. So far, he hasn't gone too far that he can't hear me call him, and he always returns when I call out. He is so fun to watch as he races across the field. Ado, too, joins in on the fun. The long lead gives him room to run a bit. When Murphy is coming straight to us as fast as he possibly can, Ado will veer over and go after him. They end up going in circles around me, Ado at the end of the lead like a horse on a lunge line. It's too comical. We all end up getting some good morning exercise.