October 26, 2004

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  The hazy, cloudless skies of Indian Summer. Leaves scurrying down the street 
  before the wind. The cold shiver from an arctic blast. Indian Summer. The last 
  warmth of the sun. Chilly mornings and glorious warm afternoons. The Harvest 
  Moon. The Hunter's Moon. The Rainy Season. Dry corn stalks clattering in the 
  wind. The touch of frost on grass and window pane. The smell of burning leaves.
  -   Keith C. Heidorn

  
  

  

  
  

   

  
  

  I have been busy with paperwork. Finishing up the third quarter records for my little business. Doesn't matter what size the business is, the paperwork always seems to pile up high... my brain hurts, my eyes hurt, I am tired of looking at numbers... but it is good to see the surface of my desk again.

  
  

  I have been squeezing in a bit of time here and there for noodling around in the yard. I still have a lot of bulbs to plant, and things to do to get the yard ready for winter. Lots of sticks to pick up from the windy stormy days we had over the last couple of months, and the leaves are beginning to fall -- one of the biggest chores of the autumn, but not the least pleasant. My inner child always comes out to play when it's leaf-raking time. Sometimes I even give in to the urge to jump in the piles

  
  

  And bit by bit, I am getting my garage cleaned up again. It was beginning to look like a hurricane had blown through. Between Bernie never putting anything away, the cats living out there, and the residue of many of my projects, it was getting to the point where it was impossible to be productive out there, and since the prime selling season is coming up on eBay, I need to have my work space clear for that! Time to build more gift baskets, and list lots of stuff on auction, all the stuff that has been sitting around waiting for it's turn while I have been concentrating only on book auctions. And then, of course, there are the books...I have about 20 or 30 more titles to write listings for. Guess I will be spending a lot of time at the computer, as I reach the time of year when I spend less time on outdoor projects.

  
  

  But there is good news on the outdoor project front as well. We have hired a guy to come out with a skid loader and grade the driveway and parking areas, and spread the existing stones around in a base layer. Then it will be time to get -- no kidding -- about 40 tons (!!!??!!) of crushed red gravel to finish the project off. The guy who is doing the grading said he will even spread it around a bit for me if I get it delivered when he is here with the machine. That will save a lot of wheelbarrowing, shoveling and raking on my part!

  
  

  He will be here at the end of next week, I have some curbstones to set between now and then, and have to dig a trench for the electrical wiring that will be put in behind the garage. The electrician dropped the wire off the other day and told me to dig and bury it, and then he would hook up both ends later, when we are ready for it (after the last piece of fence is installed in the spring) I have to bury the wire now, because it will be running under the new parking area. Not a really big chore, compared to what I have accomplished so far this year. The electrician is supposed to come back sometime in the next month and put in an outdoor outlet on the front side of the house for my Christmas lights. The same outdoor outlet I have been trying to get installed for about 4 years now (my dad promised to do it for me, and he will be gone for 2 years the ned of next month!) lets hope this year will be the year I finally get to plug in christmas lights without stringing 3 extension cords together from the garage window! 

  
  

  That's about it, moving forward slowly, nothing really exciting going on. I got some upholstery fabric on sale really cheap last week, and friday my cousin is going to help me make covers for the daybed and futon cushions (we got rid of the futon mattress, because it was so uncomfortable, and I bought thick foam for cushions on the futon frame) My old sewing machine will not handle the heavy fabric, so I will be taking the cushions to her place to use her commercial machine. In exchange for her help, I need to load up three chairs she is reupholstering for someone in my truck, drop them off at her house, and then deliver them when they are done. We will still have to figure out how to re-upholster or slipcover the bottom part of the daybed, but covering the removable cushions is a start.

  
  

  I may have enough fabric left over for some of the other living room furniture as well. Hopefully it will be all done for the holidays. And hopefully I will be able to convince Bernie he needs to go out and buy himself a new chair before then, as well. I think a nice recliner is just what the doctor ordered for him after his long hours at work...

  
  

  

  
  

   

  • 10:31 pm
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