dark, damp, and chilly...with some fog

The weather here is absolutely fantastic.  I actually love it.  It's like fake movie scenery, driving along the country roads, with the dark outline of the naked trees shrouded in fog.  The bleakness is comforting.  It makes me long for coffee and a good book.  BTW, I picked up "A Patchwork Planet", Anne Tyler, from the thrift store recently, thought I had already read it...but nope.  I relished it.  Devoured, enjoyed, delighted in it.  

This fine morning, I vacuumed and cleaned up, because I'm quite obsessed with the new floors.  I like keeping them all clean and nice.  Then it was time to go out to the mentor's weekend and help Emily in the kitchen.  She had to plan and purchase food for 240 people, four meals and an afternoon snack.  I helped her do lunch, with some of the younger ones.  They are hilarious, so gung ho to do things.  

I only last a few hours on my feet and have to take a break, so I went to Kathryn's house for a visit.  Margaret was there with her little ones too. 

This is what happened when Kathryn asked Who wants to see Jamie's tooth?

They're all so cute.

Home...we're home...I made a roast with red skinned potatoes, carrots, and onions, in a nice gravy, then a keto-ish pumpkin bread with raisins.  (keto-ish because I used a teaspoon of molasses, and another one or two of honey, then a bit of golden monk fruit sweetener, for a total of  less than a quarter cup in all, for sweetener.  I also used almond flour.)  It's a recipe from chocolatecovderedkatie. 

I also added some raisins, hence "keto-ish".    It's pretty good.  The roast was in for half hour at 450, then to 325 for an hour with the potatoes and carrots in, with the lid on, which was perfect so I could bake the bread at the same time.   But shh, I overcooked the roast...it was still delicious, but it should have come out earlier.  Oh well. 

The triple batch of chocolate chip cookies I made yesterday...why?  I haven't the foggiest.  I just wanted something to do.  I have not even tasted one bite, not even the dough.  Before you admire my virtue, know this:  I am a Cookie Monster, and I love cookies.  I already know these are good.  I just do.  So I don't eat them.  Does that make sense?

Ah well...I'm tired enough.  That cat woke me up at dawn, on a Saturday!  He walks around MEOWING.  Over and over, meowing and meowing until someone, ME, gets up and lets him out.  Suri sees what's going on and runs out the door too, which means someone, ME, has to stand there and wait until she's done galavanting around the yard.  Wide awake, I stumble back to the warm bed, and wish, hope, dream...of falling back into that blissful sleep.  This fine morning though, it was 6:30...not too early for SOME of you, but I had teenaged girls here having laugh attacks at 2:15 am.  :), way too late to attempt to get back to sleep...ugh.

Ah well, there are worse things.  I'm tired now, and heading to bed...