I was pleased with my trusty Toro, as it started up on the first pull.  At the same time, disappointed to remember the cable that controls the self-propelled functionality snapped the last time I used it last year.  I do recall thinking at the time that I’d just take care of it come spring …

Micah was also pleased that mowing season has begun.  He’s been “mowing” and “trimming” our family room, dining room, and basement floors all winter long.  He put on his mowing hat, sun glasses, and helped with the entire lawn.

If I can make it through another season without encountering any snakes, I’ll be pleased.

I wonder if it has anything to do with his favorite John Deere indoctrination DVD. I’m hoping to avoid monthly dues to FFA a little bit longer.

Folks back in G.R. (here, here, and here) are talking about the blizzard that’s blowing through West Michigan this weekend. Lest you think we don’t have our fair share of winter weather here, you’ll be pleased to know we had a Winter Weather Advisory earlier this week. The forecast was calling for 1 to 3 inches of snow, followed by freezing rain. Kids and teachers were making plans for a day off of school, and parents were dreading child care logistics. The end result? We got a little bit of rain the day after the advisory was cancelled. (To be fair, many a forecasted storm in Michigan never amounted to anything.) On my way to and from work during the 2 days of the advisory, huge dump truck plows loaded with salt were parked along the shoulder of the highway. The drivers of the plows were hunched over their steering wheels sleeping, waiting for the storm. They must have thought the sunshine we were experiencing at the time was the calm before the storm. I’m sure there’s a reason they wait on the highway before the inclement weather even comes, but I was amused nonetheless.

We did get a couple inches of snow on a Sunday recently, and temperatures have been dipping well below freezing at night, so I guess winter is here.

However, two recent encounters are shattering that logic. First, a co-worker of mine who frequents Starbucks … um … frequently, showed up at work last week carrying a Christmas-themed Starbucks cup. When I gave what I thought was the obligatory “Christmas already?!” comment, he surprised me with his retort. He was genuinely pleased they had made the shift to Christmas already. (I haven’t heard him singing any Christmas carols … yet.)

Second, our family took an evening stroll through the neighborhood this weekend. We were minding our own business, enjoying the warm fall evening, when what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a fully decorated and lit Christmas tree in the front window of the neighbor’s house. Being from Michigan, I can appreciate needing to get outdoor Christmas lights hung well in advance, before the blizzards hit. Etiquette dictates, however, that the lights remain unlit until it’s time. But here in Virgnia I find it hard to believe that weather is a legitimate reason for the early decorations … especially when they’re inside.

Clearly there are people that want Christmas earlier and earlier. I guess the stores know what they’re doing.

As for me, I’m still going to do my best to celebrate the holidays one at a time. Next up: Thanksgiving!

Thought #1: I’ve often dreamed of owning a house and paying someone to do all the yard work. Life would be so carefree without having the lawn mowing hanging over your head all week. Well, I realized today I’ve achieved that dream, and it’s nothing like I anticipated. We still own our house in G.R. and get to pay someone to do all the yard work. The problem is we’re not there to enjoy it. Hmmm. Did I mention we’re trying to sell our house?

Thought #2: I’ve heard it said you know you have a good grasp of a foreign language when you start dreaming in that language. A year of German at Calvin was enough to convince me that something like that’s possible. I don’t always remember my dreams, but this morning I woke up remembering dreaming in Perl and PHP. I’m not sure what that means, other than the weekend came just in time.

Thought #3: Rachel and I both have a green thumb gene somewhere in our families (e.g., her Dekker grandparents, my Grandma Vugteveen). However, we’re fairly certain that gene skipped over us. We have a very difficult time keeping any plants alive, let alone anything one might consider a garden. Rhubarb seems to be something that grows in spite of us, and for that we’re thankful. We have some rhubarb we transplanted from my Grandma Vugteveen that has now moved with us three times, and it keeps on growing. I tell you all that only to share that Rachel was able to find enough time to bake a rhubarb pie this week. Delicious.

Thought #4: I enjoy the season of fall. I’m pleased that Virginia has this season, too. The trees (and there are a ton of them around here) have been turning colors very gradually over the last several weeks. This is a picture in the neighborhood where we’re currently living. I also enjoy pumpkin-flavored things, such as a Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks. Mmmm. Speaking of pumpkins, Lori (my sister-in-law) carved up this jack-o-lantern in about 2 minutes. (She’s good at art stuff.)