Georgi Ice Skates!

Oh, the weather outside is DELIGHTFUL!

I do not need boots, long winter coats, gloves, hats, thick socks or snow pants. I do not hurry from my car, dodging rain or snow. I do not need the heaters turned on or a fire burning in the hearth. I do not have the wintery urge to curl up with a book and a cup of hot tea. I do not feel the need to stock up on butter, bread, crackers or soup. I do not curl my toes in dread before I open my front door.

I live in Texas. It's 73 degrees, and I am sitting with all the windows open after the sun has gone down basking in a light cool breeze. I am not shivering even though I am wearing shorts and a tank top. The kitchen window is open because I used the oven for dinner tonight, and we need to cool the house down. The girls wanted to go swimming this afternoon, but all the pools are closed for the season. Kate complained about wearing a uniform to school because they are sooooo hot! It is a polo with khaki pants. Short sleeved.

The air feels slightly damp, like the type of damp you get in Hawaii during the month of May. Nice and sloppy, it makes you feel like you must be on vacation. I've discovered that I actually enjoy grocery shopping on days like today because it doesn't feel like normal grocery shopping. I feel like I should be buying bottled juice, poptarts and T.V. dinners. Instead I walk out with a gallon of milk, apples, oranges, a bevy of vegetables and stuffing. Wait...oh, yes, it's November. I have to get ready for Thanksgiving, for Black Friday. But Black Friday is easy in Texas. Sixty-five at 4:00am just isn't that cold. I'll still bring some hot chocolate..salted.

Oh, rats!

Seriously. We're talking 4 rats or maybe 5 if you count the one that got away! One dark gray one was slaughtered by our heroic lamb names Annie. 2 white ones were whipped into heaven by traps. 1 fell from the attic to the floor somewhere in a wall and has made occupation of the back half of the house impossible. And the one that got away screamed for 5 minutes at around 3:30am, then dragged the trap to the hole they had made in our wall before freeing itself and scurrying away.

At least we found the hole. And plugged it.

If it isn't rats, it's mice. That's what we dealt with last month. 3 mice.

If it isn't mice it's cockroaches or crickets or fire ants. It's amazing how cool and calm I've become concerning pests. Pests that would have freaked me out 2 years ago are now just minor inconveniences.