Getting a good photo this morning is a challenge. It’s so dark out there – even now, at 10:30 am. The gray skies and general yuck are the precursor to the rain that’s arriving this afternoon. We’re due for almost an inch of it. Yesterday was unseasonably warm and sunny.

Go figure.

These gray days are tough for me. I have to force myself to be cheery and positive. I’m realizing that they are best spent with a good book in which I can lose myself. I am very into reading lately, thank goodness. After the reading drought earlier this year, I’m back at it and, oh my, it helps enormously.

Understand that I have stacks and stacks of books to be read. Way too many! They’re on the ottoman, on the floor and on the bookshelves. But this particular stack is what I’m tackling at the moment.

Two James Lee Burkes that I haven’t read, the newest Susan Hill which arrived last week, and Joe Ide’s second in his IQ series. The third was just published, but I had somehow missed out on the publication of the second, so I’m reading that first. In fact, I’m reading it right now. I fell for his style when I had to read and review IQ, the first mystery in the series. He’s a wonderful writer with a unique voice.

And tomorrow’s mail will bring the newest Louise Penny! Heaven!

I had another long day in the city yesterday, but not as long as some, thank goodness. I left for the bus around 7:15 and got home around 4:00. Rehearsal went well – I worked with the young man who is taking over the lead male role. Since he’s primarily an Australian pop star (with a large following stateside) who has done a bit of television, he’s not used to speaking onstage in a Broadway house. I requested the rehearsal so I could take him through all of his dialogue and help him understand vocal energy, fully voicing the ends of his lines, articulating clearly – that kind of thing. He’s a great guy and eager to learn, so working with him is quite rewarding. He’s such a personable and polite young man. He takes over the role this Thursday and I’ll go back around mid-December to watch him in a performance and check in on his progress.

No Christmas decorating yet. You know I don’t do any of that until the second week of December. I may put up the lights on the porch, but that’s it until later. I like my holidays to be separate and, since we love to keep the tree up through the New Year, decorating now would be way too soon. I’ve never understood decorating before Thanksgiving and then dismantling everything on Christmas afternoon. Doesn’t the Christmas season extend to New Year’s Day? Or am I just old-fashioned?

There are times that I like being old-fashioned.

Besides, I haven’t even thought about presents yet.

Two questions for you today: When do you decorate? And what are you reading?

Happy Monday.