Ramblings

I walked outside to get the newspapers the other morning and I noticed that the lawn looked a bit …white.  Yes, our first frost.  Guess it’s time to take out the winter coats.

Driving home last night was a little bit weird.  Some of our neighbors still have their Halloween decorations up. Some have decorated for Thanksgiving.  And a few have started on Christmas.  It’s like there’s just one big holiday that extends from October through December.

Ever hear of FROG jam?  Drew and I and one of our friends went to the Jericho Cider Mill the other day, and I was pleased to see they sell all kinds of specialty jams, jellies and preserves, things you won’t find in a supermarket.  FROG jam sounds exotic, but it’s actually just a mixture of figs, raspberries, orange juice and ginger, could be interesting on a charcuterie board.  Something  to add to our Friendsgiving menu.

Drew took the snow blower to the repair shop to be serviced.  They promised to have it ready before the first real snow.  I am not fond of shoveling.  We only had to do it twice last year, but that was more than enough. 

You know I love to take long walks, even in winter.  I really don’t mind the cold.  But it gets dark so early, it’s hard to find time during the week.  And on stormy days it’s just not possible to take a walk.  So I bought a walking pad …that’s a small, portable treadmill.  I haven’t unboxed it yet, it requires some assembly and I haven’t been able to find the time.  But I am excited to have it.  

And on stormy days I’m glad I can work from home.

We watched the Wicked special on TV the other night — a concert of music from the first movie.  I’m really looking forward to the second movie.  It opens November 21, but we have tickets to see it during a special preview on the 17th.  I’m looking forward to it.

We’re also trying to schedule our annual visits to the holiday light shows at Eisenhower Park, Jones Beach and the Bronx Zoo.  We’re going to the donors’ holiday party at the NY Public Library December 7, so that means we will also see the tree in Rockefeller Center that day.

Lots of fun things in the works.

But also …

Drew and I are going to a wake tomorrow. Really sad, Bob  was 67,  he died after a long illness. He leaves behind a wife, four daughters (two of them special needs) and a granddaughter.  Way too young. He was a classmate of Drew’s back in high school, but they lost touch until their 40th reunion (class of ‘76, so about 10 years ago.  Bob was at the reunion alone, his wife wasn’t able to go.  I started talking to Bob …and realized his daughter Kristin and my daughter Jen were best friends in high school.  I’d met Kristin’s mom, but I hadn’t met her dad … Jen will be at the wake, too; she and Kristin are still close.

Sigh. 

Life is short, take the time to enjoy it.