I went to a barn sale today - several neighbors go together on it. It is a picturesque location on the way to town from our house, and I've passed by it without stopping for 70 some years, so it was nice to finally see what all they have in their yard. The weather was perfect - 70 some degrees, low humidity. It's always risky to schedule something outdoors this time of year, but they were lucky.

One booth was antiques, mostly kitchen items, and it was very very difficult to avoid buying several things that I don't need. The lady and I had a good time talking about how we enjoy looking at our things and we never pay attention to those minimalist people.

I came home with a heavy baking sheet and a mini-muffins pan and a hand-knit dog sweater to give to my renter's dog. I hope it fits him. I suppose I should wait for Christmas to give it to him, but the suspense will get the best of me.

I just finished "A Covenant of Water" by Abraham Verghese, one of those stories that was so compelling it lingers in the mind. It is set in India, spans several generations. It's hard to find good authors with so much self-publishing, and when I find one, I focus on reading as many of their books as I can locate.

One of the neighbors has an extra cat that she'd like to find a home for. I asked her what color, and she said 'it's a tabby' so I pictured a grey tabby with dark stripes. Then she showed me a picture - it's an orange tabby, and I'm sorry I saw it because I've always wanted an orange tabby.

Last week my best friend from downriver packed up two Uhauls and moved to Florida to share a house with her stepson/wife/teenage children. I think she'll last down there no more than five years, between the aggravation of living with another family she's not related to (it's her second marriage), and being a hard-and-fast Democrat in a conservative state.

I have been doing lots of cooking, and have challenged myself to make just enough for two servings so we don't have a lot of leftovers. If there ARE leftovers, I freeze them to come out later so we're not having a lot of repetition. Yesterday I baked a cherry pie.

I recently did some estate planning - looked at my trust, and it would have my husband kicked out of this house if I die first, so I fixed that, and one of the heirs has already died, so I needed to write her out of it. I also decided that the cousin who is my heir is getting too much, so decided to leave some of it to her sister. The sister is a single mother - never had a husband, so although they don't let on, I think the rest of that family sort of looks down on her. Especially her mother, who always treats me like I'm the Help.

Our weather has been very warm for this time of year. Not that we're complaining, but we're looking forward to getting some snow eventually.

Now I have to say something about my husband. He had robotic surgery for an inflamed gall bladder at the end of August, recovered well, but that has kept him here until the end of the year. It's nice he's still here because a bushy tailed woodrat is trying to take up residence on the car engine, along with a cache of willow twigs that it has to bring from across the river. Traps are set.



(Jeri never posted pictures, but I could't resist.)

There are two or three foxes who visit here regularly, and it's too bad that doesn't discourage the rats.

And something about the yard - because it's been so warm, the snapdragons are still blooming.

Have a great day.