A Haze of Greeting Cards, Glitter and Upheaval

Time doesn't ever move the way you expect it to - I was more busy this past week than I've been in the past several weeks...which you would think would make the time fly by, but last week seems like it was longer than usual. Even with time moving a bit more slowly last week, things are starting to build to the rush of the holiday season and I for one couldn't be more excited.

A rear-view mirror sunset on the way to work on Monday night.

Veteran's Day - flags flying all over the place.

Tuesday provided a bit of adventure in the form of a little bit of a road trip through the small towns of Upperville and Middleburg en route to Dulles International Airport to pick up my Mom from her weekend jaunt to Nashville. The ride was a nice chance to see some Autumn color, we had some delicious BBQ for lunch and we had a chance to wander the aisles of Wegmans to grab some groceries. The real adventure was as we headed home and got a little too up close and personal with a buck that I have labeled as Bambi's Dad on Steroids. As we drove up the road toward the Interstate, I happened to look to the right hand side of the road and saw a deer that was so close to the car that my Mom could have reached out the window and tapped it on the head. I was fairly certain that it would keep right on walking towards us and into the road...but it just stopped and stood there. Regardless, it was enough to make me let out a yelp!

Wegmans is one of my favorite places in Virginia....ha-ha!

A certain little beggar wanted a bite of my Wegman's cookie.

I don't know what he kept hearing but on Wednesday morning, he kept looking out the window with these wide, shocked eyes!

Chestnut Praline Latte - it's no joke. It's delicious.

Bible study is always better with a sweet baby snuggled against you.

As my title suggests and my earlier writing references, I spent a LOT of time at work this week. I was selling cards and Christmas spirit 6 of the 7 days this week. I would have never imagined that there was so much glitter involved in greeting cards but I swear, I feel like every time I left work I was covered in a thick layer of the stuff. While I'm grateful to have my part-time job, I am also diligently praying that a full-time job will make itself available pretty quickly...preferably one that doesn't involve glitter.

A throwback to the weekend in the National Park.

Cold weather is becoming more prevalent every day; it's only a matter of time before the first snow falls. Watson says he'll be fine as long as he can hang on to this blanket....

Delicious hot tea....one of the many ways to combat the chill in the air!

I spent Saturday having lunch with my parents and some friends we have known since...well, since before I was born. We had lunch at Hunter's Head Tavern which is one of my new favorite spots to eat in the area; it's a tavern that serves traditional English fare and is housed in a building that is almost as old as the great state of Virginia itself. The food is always delicious and we enjoyed walking around Upperville after we ate. I spent my Saturday evening at work, getting regular football game score updates (so sad...oh well...) from my family. All in all, a nice Saturday.

Not quite a marshmallow world, but it's certainly getting frosty...

Hot brown - toast topped with slices & bacon, covered with a beer cheese sauce. Yum!

Just a pretty site in the sweet little town of Upperville.

Bundled up for a brisk Saturday night walk!

Sunday morning goofiness!

My 5 foot tall, in perfect condition $18 Christmas tree. Love it!

So - that's all for now. I've been feeling a bit under the weather (where does that saying come from??) today; maybe it's all the drizzly rain and cold we've had these past 24 hours. Either way, I'm going to cozy up and hunker down for the rest of this Monday.