It is Cyber-Monday! I'm so excited I may have to take an extra nap today to celebrate. I suppose there are fingers flying all over keyboards today as people order their Christmas presents via cyber-space and credit cards melt in the process. I think I make it fairly easy for my family although none of them will agree; --- Lowe's gift cards. Just give me a Lowe's gift card and I can shop at my leisure for free all year long. The girls think I'm boring and they don't know how I can be satisfied with the same gift year after year, but it works. Ms. Kate and I have been trying to think of a something to get each other for a couple of months now and the basic fact is that we both come up blank. We have reached that comfortable senior citizen stage where our needs are minimal and if we want something, we can generally afford it, within reason.  And, I generally talk myself out of stuff that I might "want", but not "need". For example, I will pick an item up in the store and may carry it around the entire time we are shopping, and 98% of the time, I will put it back on the shelf before we leave the store. I had it in mind that I needed to get a new John Deere Lawn tractor a few weeks ago. I got the literature, I researched and read all of the reviews on the mower I wanted; I even talked to the salesman a couple of times discussing trade-in (which they won't give you much at all) and I probably read everything there was to be read for about a month. I thought I had to have one with  more horsepower and a little bigger to help with my snow removal because mine tends to sit and spin if the snow get too deep. However, -- in the end, I threw away the brochures and went to the dealership and ordered a set of chains for the back tires. So, I spent $90.00 instead of $3500.00. And who knows; --- it might not snow at all this year; and if I still want a new one come spring, I can always go buy one when they go one sale with the new models.  Yeh, I know, --- I drive Ms. Kate nuts!!

We are back home from vacation and there is a lot of stuff to put away and a list of things to do. First thing this morning I went out and filled fifteen feeders. The birds were flipping me the wing and the squirrels were giving me the tail. Now I have a wealth of cardinals, titmouse, woodpeckers, finches, a pair of Fuss-a-lot bluejays and a squirrel out there enjoying the filled feeders. It is 45 degrees out there this morning and is a damp grey day. It felt good to wrap my hands around my coffee cup when I got back inside.

We thoroughly enjoyed our week away even though it was only a 90 mile drive. Julie and Jim enjoyed it too and it was nice to be with them. Julie said it was so relaxing to have no expectations or anyplace we had to go. She and Ms. Kate spent hours and hours playing Klondike on the computer. I reckon my data charges are going to be high this month because there was no internet in the cabins, and we used Ms. Kate's  IPhone "hotspot"  for hours on end to maintain internet connectivity. Julie is also an avid reader and read four books this week. I read about a third of my book.

Time to put up the IPad and vacate my chair and get busy. I hope you have a blessed day. As I look around my back yard and enjoy the birds, and yes even the squirrels, I again realize just how blessed I truly am. God is good --- all the time. Have a great day.