The Blog: Spellbound by our own imperfect lives...

I love fall. I love everything about fall...the leaves, the color of the sky, sweaters and boots, pumpkin, nutmeg, squash. It just goes too darn fast. I'm going to catch up fast with pictures and some words. Some of this is a repeat, I am sure. This fall, I... Went to the farmer's market for pumpkins and squash. I baked a carnival squash and a butternut squash one day and took it when we had dinner with Tom and Betty. Made pumpkin muffins. I took them to Kim at Benedictine where she is visiting her dad. So good to reconnect with her after all these years. Had lunch with an old friend. She gave me this lovely mug which is my new favorite. I love the red and purple! Made Norwegian flatbread with Aunt Vi's recipe. The first few were a little thick...after that...gold! Had dinner with Kathy and Jack at Suzette's. I had Chilean sea bass stuffed with crab and lobster. My haul from the farmer's market. Not the cat...the cat was here ...

I could have titled this post Why I Don't Keep a Gun in the House but I thought that might bring down the wrath of the FBI. And who needs that shit? My days of late have been a cacophony of sound. On the south, I have dogs...barking barking barking. Another Reason Why I Don't Keep A Gun In The House Billy Collins  The neighbors' dog will not stop barking. He is barking the same high, rhythmic bark that he barks every time they leave the house. They must switch him on on their way out. The neighbors' dog will not stop barking. I close all the windows in the house and put on a Beethoven symphony full blast but I can still hear him muffled under the music, barking, barking, barking, and now I can see him sitting in the orchestra, his head raised confidently as if Beethoven had included a part for barking dog. When the record finally ends he is still barking, sitting there in the oboe section barking, his eyes fixed on the conductor who is entreating him with his bat...

I spent two days this past weekend in the yard and accomplished much. Only a couple things left to do. As I was watering the new grass, I remembered when my brother Steve was little, I would sprinkle the grass and throw pennies down at the end of the rainbow when he wasn't looking. He thought it was the pot of gold. In some ways, it was. Ella and I planted daffodils and tulips. She carried each one so carefully and gave them each a name...old names like Ethel and Herbert. I asked if she would remember them until spring but she didn't think so. I have friends with cancer recurrences again. Mary is having a mastectomy on Thursday and will come home on Friday. I think I would demand more time. Kathryn's cancer has traveled to her lungs and bones.  Carol's breast cancer has turned into thyroid cancer. Not sure of the medical details of how that happens but it did. This afternoon, I visited Don, who is in the care of hospice. But then I see Ann and hear about her hus...

Inside Clean out refrigerator- Done Do the dishes- Done Clean off the table- Done Tidy up the house- quickly- Done Outside Dig up canna bulbs- Done Water the new grass- Done Mow boulevard- Not done Plant hostas- Done Plant tulips and daffodils- Done Put away some of the patio chairs and cushions- Done Put out suet feeders for woodpeckers- Done Make a pile of garden waste in the red truck: tomato plants, canna stalks, milkweed- Done Go to the compost pile- Done Inside Halloween decorations- Done Do two lessons for online courses- Not done Make my finger labyrinths- Not done Make tomato pie- Not done To finish on Sunday All the things above that didn't get finished- Mostly done Pick up Zoey's doll- Will be done! Birthday party at 5:15 Monday Grocery shopping Flu shots Dog diapers Coffee at 10:00 Score papers

I went to work out with Gunnar at 7 instead of 8. Holy crap, the guy tries to kill me and I like it. I went to work at Lone Star at 11. A guy about 55 walks in with his wife. They have seen the billboard on their way from Mpls to Fairmont. He looks and sounds so familiar. I finally go back and ask if he is a P_____ from Fairmont. Yes, he is. Stunned. His sister and I were on the same dorm floor in 1970 and later shared an apartment. I knew his parents, his siblings, and probably even him although he was young at the time. Wow. Small world. Regis and I went to Mankato. I stopped in a funky little craft shop that's been there for many years. Dusty, Neglected. We both had the feeling we had to buy something because it looked like she hadn't made a sale in a long time. He held up a couple things. We finally settled on this. An orange pumpkin. We had dinner at one of our favorite pizza places. Yum pizza and wine and desserts if you have any room left. Talked to a lovely you...