Yes, Virginia....

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus! That's certainly how I felt as my Christmas kicked off with a Notre Dame win in the Hawaii Bowl. What a nice present. Let's hope that the team's performance in that game is a harbinger of what's to come next year.

The rest of the holiday has been a fun one - celebrating with family and friends. I've just finished cleaning up from all the festivities and preparing a favorite meal for my sister's birthday party. Whew!

While I was thinking about what to write tonight, I was reminded of a Christmas present from long ago - a green diary that my mom gave me. I was thinking of how it was supposed to be a special place where my very best musings were to be recorded for my eyes only. Interesting, isn't it, how we now do our diaries electronically and want everyone to read them. Hmmmmm. What does that say about us?

Kindle-ing

I talked my husband into getting me a Kindle for a graduation present.

I am loving it. Yes, there is a problem with the sensitivity of the page turning "buttons," but it is so easy to read and take anywhere. I find the gray screen easier to read than a regular white printed page. I can carry a whole totebag full of books and newspapers with me in just one little 10 oz. device. So far I've read "The Lucky One" by Nicholas Sparks and "Twilight" by Stephanie Meyer. (I may actually even go see the movie!). Right now I'm reading "Human Smoke" by Nicholson Baker and am just ready to start "Sleep Pale Sister" by Joanne Harris, a favorite author. I've been subscribing to the "Boston Globe" but I miss the comics, so it's back to the print edition. There is one major problem, though - the Kindle store is open 24/7 so it's very tempting to go download a book every time I come across something that tempts me which is quite often!! I could easily fill a Kindle to its capcity (about 200 books) in a very short time. Since most books are less than $10, I can buy twice the books I normally do. But, so far I've been good. I still have a lot of print books that I've amassed that need attention, not to mention book club selections, and interlibrary loans, and...........

All's well with the world

As long as we're not talking finances, all is well with the world. I'm watching the Fighting Irish earn their first road win of the season. You can really see the improvement in the team from week to week. Now if I could only see that kind of improvement in my fantasy team.... It's been a Notre Dame week of sorts. The ND Glee Club gave an excellent concert here in Maine the other night. Of course, I walked away with 5 cd's.......

This has been an absolutely beautiful Fall here in Maine. The colors have been spectacular. One day while driving to work there was an incredibly black sky framing the gold, orange, and red trees in the West. I timed it just right so that the sun was just breaking through the clouds in the East, adding a brief rainbow to the mix. What a phenomenal sight. Of course, no camera in the car.

Yesterday I drove to ski country for a library conference - another beautiful drive. To see the snow on the mountain tops was a thrill. I would have given anything to have gotten to the summit to make my first snow angels of the year. Now the wind has arrived and there is a blizzard of falling leaves. It won't be long now before there'll be a blizzard of another sort.