Catch Up

So, it's been a while...new stuff since my last update include:

1. Girl's weekend in Oregon - an absolute blast! We shopped, enjoyed some great meals, had lots of good belly laughs, and fun time with the first baby of our generation, Ari. It was really nice to catch up with the women in my family - I'm so glad this has become an annual event again!

2. Cleaned out the Garage - MUCH needed, and quite refreshing once done. The burden of that huge mess of boxes, tools, and stuff we didn't need anymore was a very nice one to have lifted. We now have - and can use - a spacious garage with everything in it's space and/or place. This means fewer hiding places for the kitties, but we think they will adapt.

3. A week of work in Honolulu, Hawaii! I traded in the rainy CA weather for 80 degrees and sun last week. The work was very interesting and kept us busy, but we had one evening at the beach and stayed for dinner in North Shore, which was very fun.

I found out while in Hawaii that I passed the exam to become an Associate Value Specialist! This is the midway point to becoming a Certified Value Specialist (like Greg and all of the other team leads at VMS), and makes me more valuable to the company. I took my exam the Friday before and didn't expect the results so quickly. It is both a relief and source of pride - I am an AVS!

After an all-night flight from Hawaii, a long nap was in order when I arrived home on Saturday.

4. We cleaned and organized the last bedroom downstairs later that day, and yesterday we pruned, weeded and re-landscaped! Here is my favorite new little garden - a shade garden!! It was no wonder my vegetables didn't thrive here; it receives very little direct sun throughout the day. Transforming a sad plot of scraggly unproductive veggies into a lush, manicured garden with plants that should thrive there was hard work, but quite satisfying. Plants include an australian tree fern, two types of philodendron, a gardenia, and a few other shade-loving species. I have space to add a hydrangea and a few hostas, which I plan to do soon! There is something about the finished look of landscaping with barkdust that I love so much. Hopefully this will help keep the weeds down, and the moisture in!

We had more rain last night and this morning, but the forecast is all sun after today. Even with the intermitent light rain, I can't really complain because it's still in the mid-60s, and nearly November!

We are preparing for a houseful of guests this weekend - Greg's family is coming to visit! We are so happy that everyone is able to make it, and that we finally have comfortable spaces to accommodate guests :) Can't wait to see you guys!

One more thing......Before I left for Hawaii, our boss Terry asked for a picture of Greg for marketing materials, and to keep on file. We walked around our building looking for good lighting and backgrounds, and this one turned out especially well. Terry liked the picture so much he asked Greg if he could put it on our company website! The "visionary" look was apparently a big hit.