close view of an antique harpsichord

View of the National Mall, from the top of the Washington Monument, looking toward the U.S. Capitol.

Japan

Private wine cellar in the home show.

Fogo Island, Newfoundland

My library

DaVall Street, Cathedral City, to give you an idea of the traffic here

Local lane in February with wild snowdrops.

Thanks Maire for filling in. Much appreciated!

A photo of our downtown.

Annie - I've been meaning to ask. I've never heard 'out of pocket' used when referring to an absence, only when paying for something with your own money. Is that a common phrase in your area?

Crossing the Missouri River this afternoon in Jefferson City

I wondered about ’out of pocket’ too. Over here it means having lost money on something.

The main definition is as described, meaning having to spend money on something. However, the phrase in some areas of the country has come to mean ’away from home/work/my usual activities’ or just unavailable.

It was a phrase I first heard from a fellow I worked with from India...somehow I picked it up as it's a way of saying your otherwise occupied without having to get into the details as to what you're doing instead.

Kitten on a glass shelf with linear bars behind. :-)

When I heard "out of pocket", besides meaning having to pay for something onesself, I thought about a kangaroo. :)