Wednesday: 80 degrees here, 34 degrees there.

...There being New York. Brrrrr.... makes me cold just thinking about that temperature. I was just on the phone with my cousin R, who lives in Queens and works in Manhattan. Thirty-four degrees... I told her she's living in the wrong zip code. Which is what I tell everyone up there.

I keep telling my cousin to come visit us. We've been living here for eleven years and she has yet to set a toe into Clear Lake. Tsk, tsk, my sweet cousin. She needs to see what life can be like outside of Queens and NYC. I've been saying the same thing to my sister and my friend F for years. My sister and her husband visited here in 1995. And they loved it. Everyone loves it here, which is why everyone here wants everyone there to move. (Let me re-phrase that-- we only ask the people we like to move here. Everyone else can stay there.)

We were up and awake before dawn this morning. My husband finished some computer work, I finished my closet. Amazing how many things were hiding out in that closet that I hadn't worn in such a long time. I also went through my dress-closet and my bedroom dresser and took out clothes that I used to wear when I was working up in NY. Into the donation box they went. Someone will be happy to have them. Classic things that will always be in style if you're working in an office. As I took out those silk blouses, I had to shake my head in amazement. Why did I keep them for all these years? I guess simply because they were too pretty, too new-looking, to just give away. But this morning, I took them (with my eyes closed) and put them into the donation box. I know I won't be missing them.

The workman was here before 9:00 this morning. He unwrapped the chandelier that will go up in our dining room and found that he needed a special bolt for the ceiling. So that's where he is now-- trying to find a bolt that will fit this fixture. I told both him and my husband that I didn't want the "old" chandelier taken down till we're sure the new one can be put up correctly.

I checked Oprah's auctions on eBay this morning. There are 50 items up for bids. Only one dress there that I would like to have, but I won't be bidding. The bids are already coming in fast and furious and I'm sure the final prices will be much higher than the bids from Oprah's audience during yesterday's show. Besides that, my closet is now done, finished, all set. Which means if one thing goes in, then one thing has to come out. And I am sticking to that golden rule now. I'll also be listening to Oprah's rule--- if you don't love it, don't wear it. (Which means it shouldn't be taking up space in a drawer or in the closet.)

All the invitations for our Christmas party are now addressed and ready to be mailed. I addressed the last of them this morning. 78 people on that list... 70 adults, 8 children. I'll mail the cards out during Thanksgiving week. The invitations for Christmas dinner are all written out, so those are ready to go as well, but I'll wait to get till after the party to mail them. Just nine of us for Christmas dinner. I really don't have to do written invitations for that, but I found such cute cards. I've been keeping a notebook on our parties, saving one invitation and writing down what decorations I had around the house, and what kind of party-favors we gave. I wish I had started that notebook when we first moved here... I'd have half of the pages filled by now. (And I'd remember what favors we gave, because I hate to repeat things.)

That's about it for the morning. Gracie is barking and barking, so either the mailman is here, or the workman is back with the bolt for the chandelier.