Day 1790: First parent meeting

Great night! Twenty-six families were represented!  Many were veterans, while others are first timers.    One of the delights was that two young parents were my students years ago.  One graduated in 1991 and served on the Parks and Recreation Committee with me.  The second graduated in 1997 with Evan.   It was wonderful to see them.  Plus, Doug and Kathy, who always cook the hotdogs for the final picnic, were there.  Finally, their daughter Tess is an 8th grader.

One of the best parts of the evening was that eight parents volunteered to help out with the supply or water trucks.  Wow! Last year, not a single Fredonia parent offered to assist.  This is very encouraging!

Day 1789: First Rejection

So, yesterday I got my first book rejection.  I had researched Western NY Wares very closely and felt confident that it was an excellent match for my book.  It publishes only books about western NY history, architecture, communities and personalities.

The response said first that they are not taking any new manuscripts in 2017 or 2018 cause they are already scheduled to revise current publications.  OK.  I get that.

Then, he said that most of their titles focus on Erie and Niagara Counties.  Did they not know that Chautauqua County is right next door?  He has no vision.  Ok, I can live with that, too.

But then the insulting part came.  He recommended that I consult the Writer's Market to locate an appropriate publisher for a suitable niche market.  Like I had never heard of the source.  HA!

What he doesn't know is that I have already read all 700 pages of the Writer's Market.  Plus, I read the publication information for every single book that Amazon carries on hiking, backpacking, outdoor adventure education, experiences in nature and hiking trails.  Plus, I hunted through every book list on the same topics.

I don't ever do anything half way.  I was prepared for this submission.  Now, I have to start again.  It's the holidays, we have six parent meetings in the next week and I had to remake the entire parent keynote presentation today because the last two won't open.

I'm tired and scared for the entire world because of the irrational monster preparing to ruin this country.  Now he wants people to lose their citizenship for flag burning which is a constitutional expression of free speech.  And he appointed the wife of the Senate Majority Leader as Transportation Secretary.  Billionaires, moguls, Hollywood financiers, racists.  Garbage.

So, I need a bit of time before I tackle the next submission.

Day1788: O'Donnell Clan Reunion

My mom's two brothers and sister

Five first cousins

Eight second cousins

Awesome!

Lots to say another time.  Just not today.

Day 1787: Family Reunion

Such a wonderful day!  My aunt Jane hosted a Thanksgiving party for the entire O'Donnell clan.  I needn't have worried.  No politics was ever mentioned.  We mostly talked about family connections and where everybody lives and which generation we belong to.

My uncle Larry, who is now 77, came with his daughter.  I haven't seen him since my mom died in 2000 and I had never met his daughter or her children. They live in Rhode Island on a tiny island which is a huge tourist destination.  It was exciting to meet a first cousin for the first time.   Now we have family we can visit.  She even said she'd like to come to Fredonia next summer.

Jane made a turkey and ham dinner for over 25 guests and she's 76!  We took lots of pictures, starting with the oldest generation, then adding in the first cousins and then the second.  Then the spouses.  It was really fun!

We've had an amazing time and it's hard to leave.  However, I'm sure Evan wants his bed back and we have tons to do this week.  Six parent meetings, dentist appointments, decorating, set breakdown.  In just a few weeks, we will be together again.

Day 1786: Arrival

Arrival was one of the best science fiction movies we've seen in many years!  Original, thought-provoking and mesmerizing!  One of the best parts?  A female linguist is the heroine of the story!

So my back is killing me, particularly when I move from being seated to,the upright position.  The trip to NJ tomorrow and the journey home are going to be rough.

We walked miles through Riverside Park today with Justin and ate at his favorite  Thai restaurant. Another great day, but I'm exhausted.

Day 1785: Fantastic Beasts

 On this very mild November day, we walked through Central Park from 110th St to 72nd and then on Broadway down to Lincoln Center. Hundreds of people were doing exactly the same thing.  Young families, friends jogging, visitors to the city, bicyclists, dog walkers of every nationality, color and faith.  I injured my back and needed the exercise to loosen tight muscles, but the walk meant more than that.  Time with our son, time to talk, take selfies and laugh.

We had dinner at Smith's, across from Lincoln Center and then visited the Library to view an exhibit om Broadway musicals.  It's the 40th anniversary of A Chorus Line.  They had costumes, programs and scripts on display.    Then we dropped in to the Folk Art Museum which was featuring daguerreotypes of the dead.  Strange.

Finally, we met Justin to see the newest movie by JK Rowling, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.  Delightful!  It was a very good day!

Day 1784: Thanksgiving 2016

The last few weeks have been filled with grief, rage, fear and anxiety.  Although the problems we face have not eased, I feel more peaceful.   Just sitting with my sons, quietly conversing, has eased the sadness and helped restore a bit of hope.  In his blessing at dinner tonight, Evan said, "The great work begins."  Yes.  There's much to do in the coming months and years, but for today, I give thanks for the richness of our lives.  I am especially thankful for:

Sons and daughter who are happy, healthy, employed and insured
A great marriage
Good relationships with my sisters and brothers and wonderful friends
The strength and endurance to hike, swim, backpack and garden as much as I wish
Opportunity and means to explore the world
Meaningful work with kids and adults I love
Completing my first book!  A dream fulfilled!

Day 1783: The Color Purple

Perhaps the best musical we have ever seen!   Incredible performances, especially by Miss Celie played by Cynthia Erivo.  She made me weep with the power and passion of her voice.   Simple staging,  excellent chorus, an intensely emotional story.  The themes were so timely for today, also.  It had everything I love in a musical.  It's closing in January, so we were very fortunate to see it.

Day 1782: Two sons

Finally, I wrapped my arms around my sons.  Justin took us to a Szechuan Restaurant on 110th St for a wonderful meal and thoughtful conversation.  Eating dinner together is one of the things I miss most, so this was a special evening.

We are exhausted after the long drive and stressful couple of weeks.  We plan to do very little over the next five days.  We'll see a couple movies like Fantastic Beasts by JK Rowling and Arrival, a new science fiction film starring Amy Adams as a hero linguist.  Plus, we'll eat out at some great restaurants that serve cuisine we can't get at home.  Doesn't matter, as long as we're together.

Day 1781: Alt Right

Disgusting images out of a meeting of the white supremacists in Washington where they actually gave the Nazi salute.  Makes me sick to my stomach that America's fascists feel comfortable going public to spread their evil philosophy.  And the President elect remains silent.  Despicable.  Oh, the danger we are facing and so many are oblivious.  I don't think we'll be sleeping for years. We can't afford to lose a minute of action.

April in Joshua Tree National Park

Day 1780: Hamilton

The Vice President Elect attended a performance of the renowned Broadway musical, Hamilton, on Friday night.  He was met by boos and applause.  At the end, the lead actor, Brandon Victor Dixon, issued the following statement.

To me, this is a reasonable, impassioned and respectful statement of principle from a diverse cast concerned about the safety of their loved ones.  The VP elect was not offended, but DT went crazy on Twitter and demanded an apology.  This is wrong on so many levels. Why is the President Elect concerned with such trivial matters when he has to create a new cabinet, hire thousands, meet foreign leaders and so much more?   

He has no restraint, no dignity, no honor.  He is so thin-skinned and self-absorbed that everything has to be about him.    And he has no idea what Hamilton is all about.  The US was founded with a revolution and adopted the principles of free speech, press and religion.  Yet, he cannot tolerate any criticism.   The danger is that the incident further divides the country and he keeps feeding that division.  Plus, he is distracting from the $25 million dollar settlement on the T University fraud case.  His supporters are furious at a perceived insult and are encouraging a boycott.  Opponents, who are bemused and mocking, would love to pick up rejected tickets.   The show is sold out to the end of 2017.  

I am worried about having dinner with my New Jersey family next week.   All DT supporters, one cousin is especially rabid.  She better not start anything cause my sons will eat her alive.  I hope we can just have a nice dinner and catch up on the past year of family events.  We haven't seen them since summer 2015.  My aunt is reasonable and we could have a decent conversation, but her daughter is extreme.   I'm sure nearly every family in the country is struggling with this same division. So, I'll go and play nice for a few hours.  

I keep thinking about the pendulum.  Will it continue to swing right and if so, for how long and how far?  When will the leftward swing begin again?  Has it begun already?  I'm looking for signs, but they all indicate a continued swing to the right, at least for now.  The white nationalists are rejoicing because they see an opening for broader acceptance and influence.  The racism has been just below the surface and has come to a head now.   Martin Luther King Jr. said:   "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. "  So, it is incumbent on each of us to live according to those principles.  

It's been a Harry Potter weekend and I let myself get drawn in again, hoping for some relief from the anxiety and worry about the future.  In just two days, we'll be with our sons and that will be a great comfort.   My sons, my greatest hope for the future.  

Day 1779: Book finished!

In January, 2009, I began outlining ideas for a book about Quest.  It was a skimpy outline at first, but I kept fleshing out ideas that winter until the new season of backpacking began.  I called it "The Quest Community Scrapbook."

In September, 2009, I realized I would never give the book my full attention as long as I was still teaching at the college.  All my life, the students have always come first.  So, I retired again, this time in December, 2009,  from SUNY Fredonia.  That winter, the chapters began to take shape.

Beginning the following summer, I started conducting interviews with key leaders,  student leaders and campers.  I recorded each interview and then transcribed them and stored transcripts in binders.

In the following year, Steve had two knee surgeries and cancer.  We were home a lot between medical procedures so I renewed my commitment to write.  I adopted a program called NANORIMO which mandated that I write a minimum of 1000 words a day with no editing.  I started on the first of November, 2010, took one week off at Thanksgiving and another at Christmas.  By March, I had over 100,000 words.  I did the same thing the next year, only I allowed myself to edit.

Editing, rewriting, researching, interviewing went on each winter from October to March.  Sometimes I only worked an hour, sometimes eight, but mostly I worked 3-5 hours per day.  Steve patiently stayed out of my hair, tried not to distract me too much and reviewed chapters.

My friends in Penelope have been with me every step of the way.  Their input has improved my book's clarity and message.  They have been unfailingly kind, generous with their time, patient and loving, but also demanding intellectually and artistically.    In January, when I finished the last version of the book, we celebrated with a spaghetti dinner and champagne.  Tomorrow morning, we will celebrate again when we do the final edit on the final version of the query letter.

Of course, it didn't end there.  In my research on publishing, I found that the industry standard for non-fiction is 100,000 words and I had 136,000.  Back to the drawing board.  I cut 25,000 words in February to create a much leaner, more effective book.

Today I finished the final review of every chapter, all 21 of them.  I cut maybe another 700 words altogether.   I'm very proud of it.  I think it's a helpful and inspiring story.  My dream is that other schools and communities will pick it up and say, "Hey, we should do this! Let's go backpacking!"

I'm grateful to all the people who have read all or parts of the book and offered their insights: Lee, Mark, Kathy, Donna, Ellen, and Evan who helped me finally settle on a title.  It's simple, straight-forward, and clear.    Quest: A Guide to Backpacking With Teens.  Most of all, I am grateful to my husband, who has taken his job as reviewer very seriously and who has offered his ideas and experiences.  

Monday morning, I will mail the letter and wait, but not long.   The next steps are complicated and difficult in a very different way.  I will publish in 2017,  whether through a publishing company or self-publishing.  It will happen.

A special spaghetti dinner for the high school and adult stage crew for Mulan, Jr.

Such a dedicated group! 

Day 1778: Summer in November

Seventy two degrees, sunny and bright.  Walked all over town, through the cemetery and along the creek.  I mowed again to mulch the leaves.  Mowing is another form of therapy.  Blocks out thoughts of the nightmare appointments.

Nearly finished editing the final chapter.  It's exciting!  I'll finish tomorrow while Steve is out.  There are two performances of Mulan, Jr. so he'll be gone all day.   Break down is Sunday and then he's free!

Day 1777: Mulan Jr.

Things that soothe my soul:  being with kids, musicals, backpacking, hiking and a few hours of sleep.

We walked an hour this morning and then I walked again with Rachel this afternoon.  60 degrees in November, gorgeous blue sky and brilliant orange leaves. We met with the Fredonia eighth graders after school, 53 of them!  Another ten couldn't come. Sounds like a great turn out this year. 

Then, I went to the dress rehearsal for Mulan, Jr.  Dazzling performance, spectacular sets, gorgeous costumes!  All involved should feel very proud! 

Day 1776: Ready for battle

Rage lives deep in my chest, pounds in my temple, races through my veins.  I can't sleep and all I want to do is pound something.  I'm trying to channel it, keep occupied and productive, but I still want to rip his face off.  Him and all his cronies.  Spineless Paul Ryan was giddy today as he announced joyfully, "finally we have a Republican government."  Not a US government, not a bipartisan government, just Republican.  And the appointments are so grotesque the KKK is celebrating.  And now they are drawing up plans for a registry for the Muslims.  Steve and I already decided, if that happens, we'll register.  I can't even speak today.

So, instead I wrote a letter to a young man who I believe would be an excellent candidate for Congress.  I've been following the career of the mayor of Ithaca, a very young man with a brilliant future and he's the only prominent progressives with a national profile who could challenge our current congressman.  As I see it,  taking back the house is the only way to stop them.  We'll see what he thinks. Tomorrow, more letters and every day after that.

I finished editing the introduction. Only one chapter left.  It hardly seems possible that I am almost  there after nearly eight years. I should be rejoicing, but I can't feel joy right now.  I hope being with the kids for the Quest meeting tomorrow afternoon picks up my spirits.  It's absolutely clear that Quest's emphasis on citizenship, cooperation, environmental stewardship and personal responsibility is more important than ever.

Day 1775: Mulan

Steve has been gone six to eight hours a day getting ready for the show.  He left the house at 3:15 and got home at 9:30.  He has to be back at 7:45 am for the preview assemblies.  Over sixty kids in the cast, another dozen or so on crew.  How many parents are helping out with sets?  TWO.  They've been loyally painting this week and last.   We are always happy to help out, and Steve is so dedicated to helping produce the shows, but where are the parents?  Our kids are 40, 36 and 32.  Time for some new parents to step forward like we did when Colin began performing in musicals when he was 12.

So much political news, but I am not up to dealing tonight.

Day 1774: My Buds

White nationalist and hate merchant Steve Bannon was appointed Chief Strategist for DT.  Fascist, sexist, anti Semite, racist.  Editor of Breitbart News, an ultra nationalist paper.  No government experience.  Unbelievable choice.
Reince Priebus, RNC chairman, was appointed chief of staff.  Knows all the Republicans in Congress but not any Dems.  No experience.

Every day it gets worse.  We can't accept it, we can't normalize it.

Long, long hike through the state land with my buds, Leanna and Susan.   So much to talk about that we barely took a breath.   Grief, rage, passion, purpose, resolve.  We must retake Congress in 2018. Democrats are in the worst position in a hundred years.   Lots of work to do and everyone has to be involved.

Things can change very rapidly.  President Obama spoke today about the election results and suggested that Hillary failed because they did not pursue a 50 state strategy and they neglected the middle of America.   But, on a hopeful note, he explained that in 2004, the only Democrats to win nationally were Obama in Illinois and Ken Salazar in Colorado.  But, in 2008, Obama won the Presidency and the Dems took back the Congress.  

Change is the constant, except in Congress.  They keep reelecting incumbents.

In other news, I have only two chapters left to edit, the introduction and conclusion.  Very exciting, but tempered by world events. 

View of the lake from the top of Dibble Hill

My dear friends

Hiking on state land

Day 1773: Protests

The Los Angeles protests proceeded right down Colin and April's street.  Yesterday 8000 people marched, a dozen helicopters zoomed overhead.  Paddy wagons and police hovered nearby.   They needed to go view a couple apartments and got stuck in the middle of it.  Thousands streamed by, all good natured.   Some took their pictures or filmed them.  Colin doesn't do crowds so it was hard to be stuck there, but he was sympathetic and supportive.

Mary and I are talking to friends about have a mini Million Woman March on Washington right here in Fredonia on Jan. 21 at the same time as the Washington March is happening.  Cities and towns around the country are already planning their marches as well.  The next few years will be very contentious.

We walked the trails off Center Rd. in Arkwright and were surprised to discover that every tree is bare. Here in town, bright colors remain, but ten miles away all leaves have fallen.  It's odd, but that's the moderating effects of the lake.  Much logging has taken place so that large sections of the forest where we have walked are now cleared.  It's a gray and gloomy scene, except for the weeds that have gone to seed.

Day 1772: The pendulum swings

The pounding in my right temple and eye finally stopped, probably because I finally slept.   Suddenly, I had a surge of energy and made up for the last few days.   I cleaned out a closet, did laundry and finished reviewing two more chapters so now only three remain.  Rachel and I walked for 90 minutes round and round through the cemetery talking about the week.  Most folks, including us, have moved into the anger and activism stage of grief.  That's a good thing.  We have lots to do in the next two years to regain seats in Congress.  

When I was still teaching,  we began the sophomore year by studying the French Revolution.  I always used a homemade swinging pendulum to help the kids understand the stages in the revolution.  It referenced the way people sat in the National Assembly.  On the right side, conservatives.  On the left side, liberals.  In the middle, moderates.   Between 1789 and 1815, the pendulum swung back and forth from monarchy to early experiments with constitutional government to dictatorship in different degrees.

The pendulum swings in American politics, too.  Historically,  it is very unusual for a party to maintain control over the presidency for more than eight years.  In the 20th and 21st centuries, it happened only three times.  Teddy Roosevelt to Taft,  FDR to Truman,  Reagan to GHW Bush.  So, it would have been extraordinary for Hillary to break the historical trend to win the presidency.   Many commentators are saying that it was too much for the population to go from the first African American President to the first woman President.

My sense was that the American pendulum was still on the upswing on the left.  At least that's the way it felt, but I'm isolated from the despair that lots of folks feel.  So, America swung hard to the right to compensate.

The difficulty with those arcs is that when you're on them, you don't know which direction the pendulum is swinging.  My consolation is that the pendulum always swings back.  But when?  And  how many heads will fall from the guillotine along the way?

Day 1771: Veterans Day

So, I wrote this today for my beloved husband.

You probably won't even recognize this 70 year old Vietnam vet.  We don't have any other photos, just deteriorated, heat damaged slides.  This was taken before he served a year as a combat medic in Vietnam.  He came home in 1969 with a mustache, deeply traumatized by his experiences.  Soon after, he shook off the red dust from his soul and got to work trying to make the world a better place. And that's what he's done every single day since then, through fire fighting, emergency medical services, nursing, teaching, leading, serving.  Today he's spending his day at school building sets and directing stage crew so they are ready for the MS musical next week. 

Contrast his life's work with 70 year old DT who lied, avoided military service and has served no one but himself ever since.

So, today I stand proudly by the seven veterans in my family, but most especially my husband, an honorable and decent man who always puts the well-being of children, community and nation first in his life.

I thought it was a beautiful tribute with one dig at DT, but my niece freaked out and wrote a scathing response.  Oh well, at 67 years old, I am going to say what I believe.    

Day 1770: Processing

I feel a bit like Data from Star Trek: New Generation when he was presented with overwhelming, conflicting and confusing human information.  He'd say "Processing, Processing."  So, on day two, I'm processing, but not speaking.  Not about THAT.  Just talking to my sons last night set me weeping for hours.  

During the day, we walked for miles and did chores around the house.  Laundry, transplanting, trimming flowers.  Gentle, peaceful things.  I read a bit and tried to figure out how best to move forward.  With no tv news and less electronic news, I can almost pretend it didn't happen.  But it did.   I finished editing two more chapters while Steve was out working on the MS musical.  The quiet was soothing and eased the pounding in my head.

I'm trying to have an open mind, as Hillary requested, trying to reconcile the rational and the emotional.  But, then their plans seep out and scare me all over again.  I read today that Mike P. told an interviewer that they intend to roll back civil rights protections for the LGBTQ population.  That is totally unacceptable!  No matter what, we will become more politically active and stop being so damned nice and agreeable.

Evan and Matt are on their way to Vienna and Budapest for a long weekend.  How cool is that!  Good time to escape.

Maybe sleep will come tonight.

Day 1769: Another dark day

No sleep, crushing weight on my chest, stomach churning all night.  Unfolding in my mind, all the global consequences of this election and most Trump voters are gleefully unaware of them.  The world changed forever last night.  I wonder how the twenty million will feel and react when their health insurance is canceled.  On the noon news, I found out that Hillary had won the popular vote, but not the Electoral College.  Twice in 16 years the Democratic candidate took the majority and lost the Presidency.  The first time gave us Iraq and Afghanistan.  What horrors does the next one hold?

Too upset and too sick to write.  

Day 1768: Election Day Agony

It's just too painful to watch this disaster unfolding.  Our nation and our world are in serious trouble.

Day 1767: My election day plan

My election day plan:

Get up at 5:30 am and be at the polls by 6:00.  I don't know if it will be busy then, but I'm so excited to vote for Hillary that I don't want to wait till later.  After breakfast, we'll spend the day at school talking about Quest.  As sweet Molly said, Quest and a voting for a woman presidential candidate!  Two of our favorite things!  Five classes at Fredonia, then off to Silver Creek to speak with their 8th graders, too.  

Busy, busy day!  That's a good thing because otherwise I'd be glued to the tv all day.  After supper, we'll zip over to see Amy.  Always great to visit with her, especially since she got news about another new grandchild over the weekend.  At 8:00, Rachel will come over and watch the election results with us.  I plan to stay up all night till DT concedes.  I want to see him cry. 

I'll be crying too, but with pure joy!

Day 1766: Super Sunday

Comey announced that all the emails on Weiner's computer were either duplicates or unrelated.  NO KIDDING, SHERLOCK!  But the damage is already done.  Some senators are calling for investigations of the FBI for interfering in the election.  If Comey's premature, speculative  announcement last week winds up throwing the election in favor of Trump, the whole country will suffer.

Penelope loved the promotional video and the query letter.  They did offer a couple valuable pointers that I will incorporate into my last edit.  So close!

Laurie is here for the weekend and we took her on a long walk around town to our favorite spots.  It was another glorious day, but it's about to change.  The forecast calls for lake effect snow on Saturday.

Even more reason to enjoy every moment.

My gorgeous begonias, still thriving

My favorite oak tree on Chestnut St.

Day 1765: 14 down

Two weeks remain to meet my goal.  Fourteen chapters done and only seven more to review.  Tomorrow, my group will tear apart the query letter, I'll revise and then it goes in the mail.  Woohoo! Seven years of work coming to fruition!

Even though Steve worked six hours on sets at school today, he was up for a long walk around town.  It's just so beautiful that I didn't want to miss another golden day.  Too soon all the trees will be bare and the sky gray.  

Day 1764: The beauty around us

Two more chapters completed, query letter finished and copied, and lovely walk around the village.

Annual check up indicated blood pressure at 117 over 73.  I guess the election hasn't hurt me as much as expected.

Canadaway Creek from Madison St. Bridge

In a catch basin at the college 

Canadaway Fishermen from Risley St. Bridge

Day 1763: Inferno

Thanks to my son, I slept through the night for nearly eight hours!  Hooray! It was a lovely way to start our day off.  For the first time in a few weeks, Steve didn't run off to school to build sets or to a fire meeting.  I tried not to think about politics all day, but was only minimally successful.

Tom Hanks is always great and the script for Inferno was exciting and suspenseful.  There were too many dizzying chase scenes for my liking, but it was still fun.  I wish we'd had time for a walk though because the light through the golden leaves was beautiful.  

Day 1762: Election Anxiety Syndrome

I haven't slept through the night in a week.  Too much raging in my mind.  But I have strategies to deal with the last five days before the election.  First, I spoke with my son Evan for an hour tonight.  He wrote a beautiful opinion piece on Facebook that moved me to tears.  I was craving positive words amid the vitriol and noise of this campaign.  So that helped immensely.

Then, he helped me with the title.  He urged me not to torment myself any longer.  He reminded me that a publisher will have that conversation with me later.  My writer's group has said that numerous times, but I have resisted because I know that I'll only get one chance with each publisher to make a positive impression.  This book means so much to me that I don't want to leave anything to chance.

We spoke about the holidays, the election, Quest, friends, the travel he's planning, the downstairs neighbor, new pillows, bosses.  And as the conversation progressed, I could feel myself calming.  Perhaps there are a few hours of sleep in my future.

Over the next few days, more distractions.  A movie in Buffalo,  long walks, laughing with the gals at book club, sharing my query letter with Penelope.  We are completely tied up on election day, too.  Vote at 6 am, then go to school all day to talk with eighth graders, meet the Silver Creek students at 2:30, meet Amy at 6 pm.  I won't even turn on the tv till 8:00.   Then stay up all night till we know the outcome.

Chestnut Street

Stream in Russell Joy Park

Near the pedestrian bridge

Forest Place

Day 1761: Cemetery walk

What a fabulous way to usher in November!  72 degrees, sunny with a warm breeze.  We walked for an hour and half, maybe four miles.  Then, I transplanted lilies, planted a new mum, cleaned up pots and trimmed back my calla lily and then mowed and mulched.