it was a dark and rainy day...

...and Della realized that autumn wasn't just all pretty leaves and pumpkins.   Camille was the one who pointed out yesterday, as we headed down the driveway in the cold windy rain, that fall was showing her true colors.  

We needed air in the tires.  I AM a drama queen, which means a warning light on the dashboard is cause for panic!  I drove to the pool with it on, then back home...I mentioned it to Paul, hoping he'd say No problem, I'll take care of it.  But he didn't, and he's so busy. So, I sucked it up and headed to the gas station with Miss Cam.  You have to pay $2.50 for air now, so I scanned the card, lefty-loose-ied the tire caps, and Cam filled the tires while I gave her the blow by blow with the numbers...we're at 25, Camille, almost done!  It was only 41 degrees with a driving wind and rain, we got soaked.  But, when we were done, phew, we were happy when we drove away with that dashboard void of panic issues!  (I TOLD you I was a drama queen!)

We dropped off the library books that have been in my backseat for a week.  (speaking of that, I need to bring some things in from my car...there's a car seat in there, it's been playing musical cars, it needs to just be put away in the house...there's a Little Tikes bowling set in a big cardboard box from the thrift store, for activity club, there's a huge box of cupcake stands from Suzanne's wedding, two boxes of seltzer, a blanket and pillow from when Sonja took the girls to the drive-in in the summer, and now, as of yesterday, 25 pumpkins for activity club, which I will unload this evening.)

I am not a hoarder, but my car says different.

Camille and I moseyed on down to Target yesterday, wandered around and spent $19.  She found two tops on the clearance rack, with an extra 20% off.  I got her some protein shakes, and we got a thing of heavy cream, and that's it.  We stopped at the bank to get cash for the pumpkins, then picked them out in the cold drizzle.  We joked about getting sick from being out in the elements.  

She made a deep dish pizza in the iron frying pan, I heated up some leftover roasted pork and Brussel sprouts, adding two chopped apples on top, with some brown sugar mixed with cajun seasoning, may I mention it was delicious?  (Paul had venison chili, and Jon and Rosie celebrated Canadian thanksgiving with Margaret and Adrian and their kids)

Lo and behold, poor Miss Cam came home from music practice all white and trembly...and yes, she's sick.  It's been going around so slowly, I never got it, Paul was sick before the wedding, I thought we were in the clear, but no, it's still in the air.   I think I fought it off, or did I?

In any case, I can't stop living just in case I might get sick tomorrow, so today I am going out and about with Kathryn, and helping her with an appointment.  

Mattress review:  we bought a mattress on Amazon, it didn't come, didn't come, didn't even ship, finally cancelled the order.  Then Prime Days arrived, so we got a decent deal on a Casper mattress.  Paul unboxed it, set it on the bed frame, and I was woefully unimpressed, it was so flat.  The first night I tossed and turned, and didn't love it.  We had taken two memory foam toppers off the old bed, I wanted them back...Paul didn't, he likes a firm bed.  So, I just used one of them and folded it in half.  Now my side of the bed is a good four inches higher than his side, but it's oh so comfy now!  I did still feel the pea though.

On Sunday, we had a small scale chili festival here in our house.  

Emily brought:  pumpkin soup

Mariel brought:  pumpkin chili

Ashley brought:  "normal" chili, and corn bread

Kathryn brought:  bread she had just baked that morning

Evelyn brought:  white chicken chili

Paul made:  venison and hot sausage chili

I made:  coconut lime chicken soup, and a big pan of jasmine rice, and two pans of brownies

There were also barbecued corn chips for the chilis, and lots of seltzers to drink.  It was a super casual day, with football on, and hide and seek, and games of memory with the kids, lots of noise, Jamie fell asleep in Evelyn's arms, it was a wonderful day.  

My oldest granddaughter, Anya, turned 11 yesterday, so I had a few birthday gifts for her on Sunday, and some for Elise, who turns seven this month.  They got pretty necklaces, and Elise got a reborn baby doll, Anya some nice marking pens, a notebook, and a little carrying case for them, along with one of those little mystery toys to open.  Elise also got a big package of Hatchimal babies.  

Ah well...Cam is on the couch with Orange Guy cuddled with her, Paul got back from donating blood and is working, and I am leaving soon to go with Kathryn.  Is everything A#1 perfect?  of course not!  But life is a gift, and we are thankful for it, right?  Aching knees and all!  Have a really good day!