Good morning Boys and Girls.

With the time change last weekend came the usual shake-up to my body-clock. Pretty sure I'm not alone in noticing the effects, though so far, I haven't talked with anyone about it this year. Yesterday afternoon, the dashboard clock in my van read 3:30, and the sun, though still high in the sky, didn't shine with the same sort of brightness it had just a month ago at that time. Then I realized the clock was still set to Michigan time - (hadn't been in the van since Saturday at some point) - and since I'm in Iowa, and the time had changed Saturday night/Sunday morning, it was really only 1:30 p.m. - a two hour difference. Wow.

Now, the way the sun looked, and the softer light it cast, gave me the certainty I'd missed before; not only is Autumn in it's last throes, but that Winter light - less direct, more diffused - has taken hold here, meaning the sun won't be truly bright again 'til snow (gulp) reflects it every-which way, and the damn snow's crunch under-foot is the norm for a few months.

-As usual, the prospect frightens me.

Here at SweetLady's, we've been rearranging things in the basement the last few days. Yesterday, while I was at work and SL was at school, AuntConi took it upon herself to sweep the basement floor, something that needed doing. She's always looking to help out. Hell, the kitchen here has never been so spotless as when she's had at it.

The same is true at my place in Michigan.

Here's the routine: Once I've cooked dinner and we've eaten, I'll be ready to do nothing for an hour. She'll insist on getting right up and tackling the kitchen; doing the dishes, cleaning up my cooking mess and so on.

I used to object, but of late - having realized I am powerless to stop her anyway - I've come to enjoy it. This isn't because I'm especially lazy, or that I mind cleaning my kitchen after cooking a meal - I don't; it's an easy kitchen to cook in, as well as clean - but the truth is, she simply does a far better job every single time she does it, than I've ever done even once.

So, resigned to this fact, I sometimes simply sit and relax, and - God forgive me - watch her work.

Isn't that awful?

..........................

My friend Dot and her beau Terry are dealing with the death of Terry's Dad this week. Just a month ago, Dot, Terry, and Terry's Mom and Dad headed out to Omaha from Grand Rapids to see Terry's kids. Terry's Dad was absolutely fine when they left on the trip, but a day or two in, he started feeling bad. They came home early. The diagnosis was pancreatic cancer - an inoperable golf-ball sized tumor. He died Sunday. AuntConi and I will miss the viewing and funeral, but we'll sure be thinking about Terry and Dot, Terry's sister and Mom.

I only met him once, as did AuntConi and SweetLady, when we all were invited to dinner at Dot and Terry's new house a few months ago. It was a fun evening. Dot's Mom was there too along with Terry's seven-year-old daughter and one of Dot's nieces. Even during that brief meeting, it was easy to see Terry's Dad was a kind and loving guy; genuinely proud of his wife and family. To me, that's a pretty good measure of a man.

Well, not much to say this morning. Just felt like writing a post. Guess I'll go back outside, sit on the glider, have another mug-full of coffee and see if the sun's gonna show off its weak-ass Autumn shine today. Hope so. I kind of like it.

(What? I shouldn't call the way the early November sun shines "weak-ass"?)

Whatever...

Wusses. (heh...)


Be good to everyone.