Hubby and I went for a 5-mile hike in Lake Fairfax Park this morning. The mountain bikers have really torn up the trails there; lots of exposed tree roots and erosion. It was cold and windy and lovely for a walk. Nothing like refreshing air early on Sunday. Afterward we stopped by the mcmansion where we went yesterday to an estate sale. Today we bought a couch I had eyeballed yesterday. The price was severely reduced, so why not? It will be delivered Tuesday—to the garage next to the reclining swivel chair we bought at the same estate sale yesterday, which is also in the garage until we have the time to shift things around in the living room (because we don’t have enough to do).

Hubby did more clean up in the garden, while a fellow writer friend stopped by to buy copies of my book for Christmas presents. We used to be in a writing group many years ago when I was writing my Scotland memoir. She and I chatted for about an hour. This evening I finally decorated the Christmas tree, the fake tree, which I’m still getting used to. Hubby cued up Wham!’s “Last Christmas” music video for fun; he knows I can’t stand it, but it was hilarious watching all the 1980’s hairstyles. We watched “Nativity! 3: Dude, Where’s My Donkey,” a Christmas franchise movie from Britain, which is pretty cute and funny, especially seeing Martin Clunes in a comic role (a 180 from his Doc Martin days as a curmudgeon town physician).

Three days of work this week, and PRAYING the contractors finish the bathroom by Wednesday!