The Goat Did It

Ate the sign-in sheet.

"If your name is on the top half, sign out; otherwise, never mind.

Katherine made it by one line.

We stayed in a cloud most of the day.

I walked to the Y to play Mah Jongg and went by the library first.  I was returning 3 books, but by the time I got there, I had 6 books waiting on the reserve shelves, so I had a heavy bag to carry. 

I had told Graysen I might be walking by her playground and would look for her, but the little girls who waved at me were second-graders and said the first-graders had already gone inside.

There were seven of us to play, and I held my own.  I'm getting more and more comfortable, but it goes so fast I just want to say, "Time out for a minute and let me think."  I may have actually said that a couple of times.  Abby won the first 2 games, then Anita won the 3rd, and I (surprisingly!) won the last game.  I enjoy it so much more than I thought I would.  Debbie was not there today, and I was a little tense because I don't really know the others as well, but we did have a good time. 

Walking home and feeling smug.

Walking along Center Street on the way down was so interesting.  In the first storefront was a woman playing with two babies - a daycare, I guess.  Next door was a dog grooming parlor, and I could have stood and watched some of that if I'd had time.  Next was a pottery-painting store with several children in there.  Home-schoolers, I guess?  And next to that was a martial arts group of children with their white uniforms on doing whatever it is they do.  Last was the place I get my hair cut, and I wish I had had time to go in there.   All looked so warm and cozy and cheerful. 

I had to go straight to pick up the girls when I got home.  Still those interesting clouds but a nice crisp and dry day.

The girls had time to have a snack and play just a little bit before Emily was there to pick them up.  I've been trying to read a little bit but am too sleepy.  Out of all the books I got, two were ones I had already read, and one was a Toni Morrison one that looked too sad to get into tonight - or maybe ever!  I finished Eleanor Oliphant is Fine, and it was a great one - hard to get into but so good.  I hated to finish it. 

Yesterday I went to Issaquah for a few last-minute things, and you would have thought it was Christmas week from the looks of the traffic.  Pouring rain, road construction, lines of cars everywhere. Thank goodness I'm done now and don't have to go back.  I found some paperwhites to force at Home Depot and enjoyed a phone call from an old friend in the car before I went in. That was fun. The folks inside were busy, so I came out into the garden center and found a guy sitting in a little booth with a heater who was so glad to see me because he hadn't had a customer in two hours and was getting bored.  We had a nice conversation about what kinds of things grow here and all about forcing bulbs.  I found Dollar Tree for wrapping paper and ornament hooks so I didn't have to go all the way to Target and finished all that stuff. 

Except for one gift that I'm waiting for and one to be decided on, I have everything wrapped and ready and stocking things sorted so I can enjoy a peaceful few weeks.  We'll go down to see the tree lighting in Snoqualmie Saturday night, and the girls will have a sleepover here Sunday night.

I've enjoyed talking to Carol, Mike's cousin from Louisiana this week.  We started chatting by email the other day since they lost their mother, Aunt Betty, last week.  She was 95.  It's been almost a year since we lost Mama too, the 10th.  Those two!  You never knew what they were going to say next.  It's been fun talking and reminiscing and sorting out all our children and grandchildren.  I do hope we'll keep in touch better.  We're going to try.  We have so few family members left now, and we're all so scattered.  I don't think they would mind me posting a picture of Aunt Betty and her grandson Dwight.  She certainly loved her family and, according to Carol, was in good spirits last week, looking forward to Thanksgiving.  You just never know. 



I'm looking forward to the weekend.  I have orders from the girls for 4 doll stockings to be made and one Christmas doll dress, but otherwise I have no projects going.  Emily and I are getting together Monday, I think, to make some Christmas gifts for her co-workers.  This one doesn't involve a bit of glue and smells good!