OFF TO VERMONT

I have decided to take the challenge that Jerusalem at My Little Life has extended for the Thanksgiving Season . We are to write about things that we are grateful for from now until Thanksgiving. I am hoping that I can at least include something each day. Today I am grateful that I had a Real Estate closing. They have been very sparse this year and this is probably the last for the year unless a miracle of some sort happens. But I am grateful that I have a paycheck for the first time in 4 months. I rode to the closing with my Broker (it was her listing, my sale) which gave me a chance to just soak in the beauty of the day. The closing was in Weston which is a very upscale suburb of Boston and about a 45 minute ride. It seemed that around each bend there was another beautiful view. The foliage this year has been very unusual; not as bright as usual, but the leaves have hung on and are wonderful autumnal shades, almost like a tapestry. I had to stop myself from repeating over and over "Oh look at that tree" or "those colors are spectacular against that backdrop". Just a beautiful ride and I am very grateful to Mother Nature for arranging such a wondrous day for me.

I will be gone for the next 5 days, off to Vermont, as the title indicates. Tomorrow I am meeting a friend from St Louis at the airport in Providence and we are driving to Burlington. Judy and I are childhood friends and I suggested to her that sometime when she was going to visit her Mom, it would be cheaper and easier for her to fly into Providence and then we could drive the 275 miles home and have a "Road trip". She has decided to take me up on my offer, but unfortunately she is going home to put her mother in a Respite House. So,the trip will not be an entirely fun trip, although we will meet another friend we haven't seen in many years on Thursday night for dinner. I haven't been home for this long since I moved out 34 years ago. It is nice to see my parents (90 years young) and maybe do some cooking for them. I am beginning to worry about the state of the house and the refrigerator specifically. Things are not as clean as they should be, but it is hard not to insult them if you start scrubbing counters and cleaning out the fridge. Come to think of it, mine needs a good cleaning too. It is 11:30 and I have focaccia bread finally in the oven for the turkey sandwiches for the trip and I have made banana bread and Shepherds Pie to take and some to leave home for hubbie.

I will take the camera and hopefully when I get back, you will have a photo tour of Burlington Vermont, a super place to live, work and play!

Time to get the focaccia out and go to bed. "Talk" to you on Sunday.

Janet