In which I hold my head up high and look on the bright side

Leaving behind the demoralizing and depressing feelings that being fired from a job for the first time has caused, I've decided to just get on with life. Starting Monday, I'm back looking and will keep reminding myself that THINGS WILL WORK OUT. I'll find a better job than the one I had, and will walk away from this whole thing as a stronger person.

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Today is a cold, cloudy day, but I bundled up and continued my Saturday tradition of sitting outside with a huge cup of coffee and a book. Our deck is fantastic and offers some shelter from the wind, as well as a great view of the backyard. Even this late into November, some of the trees surrounding the yard still have most of their leaves, which is a lot less depressing than the bare branches we're starting to see everywhere.

The deck and yard when we moved in




The Deck and yard today

This has been by far the nicest autumn I can remember in years, weather-wise, and for the first time in years (or maybe ever) I am looking forward to the winter season. Maybe it's because last year I didn't see much snow, or get to celebrate the holidays with family, but the anticipation for December has started already. I've always loved Christmas, but the commercialism of it has turned me off more and more each year (most likely because I've been too broke to buy people Christmas gifts for the last two years). Christmas in London was pretty exciting - getting to celebrate Midnight Mass at St. Paul's Cathedral and enjoy the beauty of lights everywhere and watch the little kids stare up at the bright displays on Oxford street.

Where I was at this time last year

Now, I'm preparing for a Christmas with the friends and family who I missed so much during the year abroad.

So today is for remembering the good things. I'm grabbing another cup of coffee and going back outside to sit in the autumn sunshine that's starting to peek through the clouds, and listen to the little kids raking leaves a couple of yards over. Then it's dinner and a night out with some friends.

And today I noticed that for the very first time, my African violet is blooming. In a few days the Christmas cactus will have flowers too. If that's not a sign of good things to come, I don't know what is...

My blooming African violet

Tomorrow: All I Want for Christmas is Satellite TV (Advance warning: this post may contain gratuitous mentions of hockey)