I wrote tomorrow's post before I wrote the one you may (or may not) read today.

I should have taken a vacation day today. Instead, I have customer visit reports to type and about four inches of filing to do. Blah. I would like to have my desk cleaned off heading into the long weekend. I don't know why it matters. We are not hosting any festivities this week, so no one beyond my wife will see the clutter. It is not like my work space is a real mess. I have some customer folders neatly stacked on one side. Completed folders, stray quotes, invoices, and order confirmations are stacked over on the filing cabinets waiting to be filed. I like my desk to be cleared of papers at the end of the day, or at least neatly organized.

I raked the front yard yesterday afternoon. The maple still has maybe 30% of its leaves; most waiting until just after I came in from raking to fall. After the rain that arrived last night the front yard is again covered.  The leaves filled one and a half large garbage cans. There are even more leaves still on the ground in the backyard. What was I thinking when I wanted a house with lots of trees? I bet the broken branches and detritus from the giant willow in the back would fill an additional trash can or two. I am not sure if I have posted a picture of the willow tree. It is easily 50 feet tall and the trunk is at least 7 feet in circumference. It is a gorgeous tree, but boy, does it make a mess. I am constantly picking up branches. The three tall Bradford pear trees are just starting to turn and have virtually all of their leaves still on the branches. I could be still raking in January, if I was so inclined.  I am not.

I got most of the outside decorating done last Friday when it was warm out. We still have to do the lighted garland on the porch rail and around the door this weekend. Then inside decorating shall commence. I'm not sure if we are going to be able to put up the second big tree this year. Usually we have the big 8-1/2 foot tall one in the living room and a smaller skinny one in the family room. The granddaughter's play kitchen has taken over the spot we usually use for the tree in the family room. I am sure the wife will find someplace to put the tree. She has a lot of knickknacks, pictures, baskets, redware plates, crocks and country crap all over the house. Almost every piece is replaced by a Santa or snowman at Christmas time. Her decorating will take all weekend. At least I don't have to help. It does look great when she is done.

Have a great day. Save some room for the spuds tomorrow. Remember, there are no diets on Thanksgiving.


edit: today's post (and thus tomorrow's) were written on an actual computer as opposed to an iPad for the first time in a couple of years. Any misspellings and typos should be attributed to the lack of autocorrect.  Yeah, let's blame it on the device...