The clouds are dark and a breeze is slightly blowing through the trees causing the orange and gold leaves to sparkle as if they were gems. Although it looks as if the storm is about to unleash, the trees are still quite beautiful. We were lucky enough to miss the rain on our commute to work this morning, however I don't think we will be quite as lucky on our way home. But that's okay, I'm not driving today and I have my neck pillow so perhaps I'll take a nap. That's the great thing about having a commute partner!

I'm anxious to start the weekend. We don't have anything planned, but I'm quite happy spending time around our new house with my husband. Maybe if my neck behaves I can do a little sewing. And if it doesn't, I'll just curl up in my chair in front of the fire and do a little crocheting. Yeah, it doesn't get much better than this.
 

One of the newsletters I subscribe to suggested keeping a "Joy Journal", documenting one thing a day that has brought us joy. This is a great idea. So many days go by that we forget about the simple joys of life and only remember the greater ones. With Thanksgiving approaching, I think this is a good time for me to start "Joy Journaling". So to begin with today, let me see... the thing that has brought me joy today is having a job where I can work with my two close friends, Maureen and Barb. They keep me sane on an insane day, and can always put a smile on my face even when I want to scream. They truly make it a joy to come to work; and to think I get paid for seeing my friends all day!
 

Fall is in the air. What a beautiful site. I work near the university and the neighborhoods surrounding this area are full of trees, every kind you can imagine. During my lunch hour a co-worker and I decided to grab a bite of fast-food and drive back to work through the neighborhood. Leaves of gold and amber line the pavement of the streets; however the trees still show an abundance still waiting to fall. If I didn't know better, you would think we lived in Vermont - not California! It was such a nice break to take this 20-minute jont which transported us to a different place.

But now, it's back to work.
 

It's harder and harder for me to sit at the computer, so I'm trying to get some writing done little by little. Fortunately at work I can get up and move around. The traction gizmo the doctor prescribed is rather nice. It takes away the pain completely, but the down side is that it mushes my face and teeth together so I look rather "odd". My pom sits in front of me and stares, and Meeka, our outside dog, stares at me through the sliding glass door and growls. I must be quite a site - lol.

Yesterday was Shannon's baby shower. Her mother hosted it at Shannon's in-laws' house, and she had quite a few friends in attendance. Catrina and Crystal joined me, and they took some great pictures. Don and I bought her a stroller/car seat combo - boy, they never had anything like that when my girls were born! And she got a lot of clothes, diapers, a play mat, a diaper sling, a swing and 6 formula dispensers - lol. Needless to say she will be returning some of the formula dispensers. The baby shower was a salad luncheon potluck and there was a lot of yummy salads, everything from green tossed salad to bean salad; Shannon's sister-in-law, Crystal, made tostadas. My friend decorates cakes as a side-business, so I asked her to make a special cake for the shower. She made a 10" round "Fruit Basket" cake - white moist cake, with bananas and strawberries between each layer and a fluffy pink whipped cream frosting. I found a stork cake topper carrying a baby girl which was centered at the top of the cake and the words "An Angel is Coming to the Arce's" perfectly written around it. She also made a dozen white cupcakes with white whipped cream frosting, just in case there wasn't enough cake! As Rachel Ray would say... "Yummmmmmo"!
 

I hope everyone had a chance to thank a veteran yesterday. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about the many military men and women who have sacrificed for our great country. One day of rememberance a year seems so trivial in comparison.

I did not have to work yesterday, Veteran's Day, so decided to make a doctor's appointment and vet appointment. I had a physical last month and asked that the doctor order a x-ray of my neck as I have been having pain in it. I thought this was a good day for me to go back and see what the results were. Imagine my surprise when the doc told me I had a severe collapsed disk. I mean, I knew it hurt, but didn't realize it was so serious. I really thought I was imagining it all. After all, I have that mindset from years of degradation from my ex-husband. So part of me is happy that I KNOW I'm not crazy, and the other part of me is still in denial, not wanting to go through the surgery. After discussing my concerns with my doctor (who is fabulous, by the way), he prescribed some kind of traction gizmo thing that hangs over the door. The first time I used it, I instantly felt relief. It's wonderful. I wish I can use it all day long, but I think they'd frown on it at work Now, we'll just wait and see how long I can endure.

In the afternoon I took Zack (my pom) to the vet as his collapsed trachea has been giving him a lot of problems lately. He coughs all night. The vet said he's relatively happy for a ten-year-old, but his poor little body is starting to wear out. He gave us some meds, and I'm hoping to see an improvement in a couple of days.

So I have to take care of Zack, and Don has to take care of me. And today I feel like we are just falling apart.
 

The weekend's over and it's the work week once again. This past weekend was so busy, I should be glad to get back to work! But I'm not. Saturday started off with me waking up at 4:00 and not being able to get back to sleep. My neck was bothering me, so I laid on the couch with the heating back until 6. I then managed to get up, start Don's coffee and jump in the hot shower. The shower eased the pain in my neck so I was dressed and ready for the day by the time Don woke up at 7. The delivery of our new couch and love seats were expected, so we managed to move our 8' couch and loveseat out to the storage shed in the back yard - all by ourselves! What a feat that was! But it was worth it, just knowing we were geting new furniture! The furniture was delivered, but in two different colors! The recliners came in dark chocolate brown and the couch came in ash. There was a delay of only about 45 minutes before we got the correct recliners to match the couch, so I really can't complain. But we were so looking forward to relaxing in them that 45 minutes seemed like an eternity! Once they came, the whole living room changed. We also bought a new carpet with bright, bold colors reminding me of Tuscan decor. I absolutely love the new look!


 

It's Friday and I'm ready to embrace the weekend! Big plans for this weekend - we're having furniture delivered! Our couch and recliners arrive tomorrow, but that means that we must first move the old couch and love seat out. So the plan is, first thing in the morning, Don and I are going to move our boxes of Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations OUT of the Tuff Shed and into the garage; then move IN to the shed the couch and love seat. We'll cover it with plastic where it will remain until Shannon or Catrina need them. Shannon and Angel are looking to rent a house, so will be in need of furniture. We're just not sure how much room they will have and the furniture is quite large. Catrina and Jeremy are going to buy a house (if they ever find one), so they may have a bigger living room for it. Crystal and Mike are also looking to buy a house but they already have their funiture. Just wish SOMEBODY would get their house before February when we go to Hawaii - we need a dogsitter!
 

Why is death so hard? As a Christian we have a sincere belief of life after death, do not fear it, but embrace it. So why do I feel the moisture welling up in my eyes when I hear about the tragic death of my friend's husband? As soon as she told me about the 39 year old police officer being shot and killed on Halloween while on-duty in a senseless murder, my emotions taken on what his young wife, the mother of two small children, must be going through. I don't even know him or his family, but the tears start to flow for them anyway. Scum of the earth takes away a life that was sworn to protect and serve leaving a family heartbroken. My prayers are with them.
 

Daylight savings time is hard for us commuters. The first couple of days of a new time change people seem to forget how to drive. It's dusk on our drive home now and by the time we arrive one hour later it's completely dark. The highway traffic comes to a standstill at some points; as we approach we expect to see an accident. But no, it's just a very slow moving driver who's forgotten how to drive in the dark which is backing up the traffic for miles.

We eventually got home, and my step-daughter, Shan, was there. As we sat down for dinner, her cell phone rang. Imagine our surprise when it was my step-son, Nathan, calling to say he was home (Hawaii) from Iraq. We knew he was expected soon, so peace of mind set in as we realized he made it home safe.

After dinner Shan and I sat down at the sewing machine to work on her first project. I am teaching her how to make a baby blanket, so I changed the thread and turned her loose. She slowly sewed the light turquoise satin binding to the turquoise and blue fleece, making sure each stitch was perfectly straight. It was quite an accomplishment for a beginner to sew on such slippery binding. She did a great job and it turned out really cute. It brought back so many memories of when I was pregnant with my first daughter and all the joy it brought me to make things for them. I'm so happy I can pass that on to her!




 

What a great day. I'm so happy Don is back, although the jet lag took a toll. But today it seems he's getting back into the swing of things. I started out today by braving the traffic to get my nails done bright and early. We didn't go to church today as Don was still pretty exhausted, so I left him resting while I started out. The girl who does my manicure opened the shop for me so I was able to get an early jump on the day. The traffic in town was already starting to get congested as the annual Sikh parade and festival is today and they estimated 250,000 Sikhs coming in from all around the world. Last year it was only 100,000 We have learned on this day to stay as close to home as possible as the whole town is gridlocked.

After I finished my manicure, I stopped by Michael's craft store and was able to find the cake cupcake pan that I had been looking for. My oldest daughter, C-1, is engaged and doesn't want a traditional wedding; for her cake she wanted a large cupcake and regular cupcakes around it. Lucky for me in today's newspaper I found a coupon for 40% off an item from Michael's, so made a point of using it for the pan and also bought a skein of yarn for the baby afghan I'm crocheting. Then I found myself heading home to check on my hubby. He was wide awake and ready to go. We noticed in today's newspaper an ad for a local furniture store that had recliners on sale. I have wanted a recliner for so long; all the furniture we have in our house belonged to Don when we got married, and it was furniture he was totally comfortable in. Unfortunately I'm built quite a bit different, so my shorter torso didn't quite fit the couch or loveseat at all. In fact, the only way I could sit was with two pillows behind me. So we decided to check out the sale. Good thing we did; we ended up buying a couch and two matching recliners, all 1/2 off! I'm so excited, I can't wait to have a chair I can actually fit into!

After grabbing a quick lunch at Wendy's, we headed to the grocery store then home. C-1 called me to excitedly tell me about a house she and her fiancee looked at. They are searching for the right house to buy, and yesterday they looked at 10. Only one stood out. Don and I decided to go with her to look at "the property". The property consisted of 1/2 acre with a house and a smaller house on it. They need some work, but she was extremely excited about it. So, who knows? If it's meant to be, they'll get it. And Meeka will finally be back with her mama!


 

Picked up hubby from the airport this morning and I can't describe my joy in having him back. We headed home and decided to stop for lunch at Chevy's on the River. The sun was shining as we sat on the patio overlooking the still river in 70 degree weather. No people were on the dock nor on any of the boats; I suppose they were at home getting ready for Halloween. Hubby enjoyed it even more since it had been storming in Michigan just last night. Days like this make me thankful I was born and raised in California. (At least for the time being anyway until the wind comes up again!) And now he's busy in the front yard doing some raking and getting things in order as he wants our home to be inviting to the trick-or-treaters tonight. I, on the other hand, dug out the dog's Halloween costumes. Zack, our pom, will wear his pirate costume. He does't mind at all, in fact he loves the attention the kids give him when he greets them at the door. I dressed Rusty, our curly-coated Doxie in a prisoner's outfit and took pictures. He stood still, afraid to move a muscle, other than following the camera with his eyes, so the pictures were easily taken. Obviously he doesn't like wearing costumes, so he only wears them for pictures! If he wasn't so darn cute, I would bother!
 

One more day until my hubby comes home. Saturday can't come soon enough. Today brought so many mixed emotions spanning opposite ends of the spectrum. This morning Don's brother and his family met with the doctors for a plan of action. Unfortunately there is none. The only thing the docs could do was give him meds to stop the tumors growing, which will give him 4 or 5 more years. Devestating for a 50-year-old man. When it hits so close to home, you start questioning your own mortality. As a teenager and young woman I thought I was invincible, nothing could happen to me. The older I get, the wider my eyes have opened and I thank God for the gift of each day he has given me with my family.

And our family is indeed growing. This afternoon my step-daughter had another ultrasound and she's having a girl! This time there wasn't any question. She ahd her husband (along with the rest of the family) are so excited. They don't care what it is, as long as it's healthy. I, however, secretly was hoping for a girl - I even started buying some pink outfits!
 

What an enjoyable evening I had. Dinner with my two daughters, C & C, and C's boyfriend. The time I have with them I treasure as it's not often we can get together. But Don and I had been dog-sitting Rock for C and her boyfriend while their apartment got repaired, and it was time for Rock to go home, so we took this opportunity to have dinner together.

Rock was so excited to see them, running back and forth, his large, sturdy body jarring into them as he passed by with his favorite yellow tennis ball in his mouth. When he was told it was time to go, he carried around his leash in his mouth. He is such a good dog. I'm really going to miss him, and I'm sure Meeka is too.

It's now getting late, so I checked on Meeka for the last time tonight. I peaked into the garage and saw that she was cuddled up in her bed sleeping. She was probably dreaming about all the fun she had the last two weeks playing with her cousin Rock!

At least the wind stopped blowing.
 

Did I mention I hate the wind? Don is still gone, and my daughter, my older brother, Joe, and I went out to dinner last night. Once we got there it was quite enjoyable. Getting there was awful! Seemed our feet hardly touched the ground as we walked (or should I say sailed) from our parking spot to the restaurant. The dinner was good, but then again, I haven't met a Mexican food I didn't like. It wasn't authentic, but my taste buds still savored every morsal.

My brother stayed over like he does once every week, but I think he was worried about me. He checked on me constantly as I tried to get some writing done, and I eventually gave in and accompanied him to watch some TV program on the History channel about a cowboy in the 1800's.

And tonight both my daughters are taking me out to dinner. Somehow I've ended up busy every evening while Don is gone. But I'm not complaining. In fact, it's giving me more to write about!
 

What an evening last night. The 30 mph wind started at dusk and continued all night. The trees in the yard are bare now, the gold and orange leaves have blanketed the grass. Our dog Meeka's personality of part Greyhound was coming through as she paced back and forth outside in front of the dining room window. Little did she know I was as nervous as she was!

Don called me from Michigan where he's having a nice visit with his brother. We're very optomistic but the doctors won't have a plan of action until Thursday. His brother's spirits are high and they are enjoying their time together. His brother even cooked a pork tenderloin with all the fixins for dinner! And I enjoyed my TV dinner. :)

After playing and feeding Meeka and Rock outside, I retired to my craft/computer room. The quietness of the house allowed me to do some writing and I was able to get over the writer's block I had on a short story I'm writing. I'm anxious to get it finished - it's about my daughter's recent engagement. I hope to have it completely finished and edited by Christmas so that I can give it to her - just a little something from a mom's point of view. The "short" story, however, is getting longer and longer; I'm sure I will have quite a bit of editing to do! I just need to remember what my focus point is and start trimming it down. But as a mom I don't want to leave anything out, so I will probably save the parts that I edit from my story to use in my memoirs.

I haven't really written anything since winning some high school competitions, and now as a fifty-ish woman, I'm remembering again why I used to enjoy it so much. And another bonus is that it's really helping me to pass the time until my hubby comes home!
 

This is the first time I have been alone since Don and I were married two years ago. His brother, whom I have not met in person, lives in Michigan and was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer last Tuesday. We immediately booked a flight for Don to visit him. He left on Saturday. And here it is Monday. Don is the oldest of five children and has always been the rock and a natural "counselor". I always tease him saying it's like being married to my very own therapist. The decision to stay behind was not easy. But I felt he would be able to help his brother and his family more without the awkwardness of a new wife tagging along. But boy do I miss him!