A Glorious Dawn To End The Year

7:11

7:28

8:00

It's 7:40 and I have only been up for an hour. Surprisingly, it's a mostly clear sky above, some clouds off towards Bemus Bay.  It's a fine end to the year, lots of color, a white frozen lake, with an occasional fisherman trudging out on to the frozen lake.

8:03

It's hard to believe another year is gone.  I can remember as a kid, reading about WW I and thinking how long ago 1916 seemed, wondering what it would have been like to live then, and here I am now, having just lived through 2016, a hundred years later. "How did it get so late so soon (Dr. Seuss)."

Yesterday was a different kind of day, mostly thanks to my neighbor, Jim Fox, who suggested to Evie that he loved to rearrange furniture and suggesting ways we could utilize our bookcase/fireplace area.  This brief aside was all that was needed to get Evie going, rearranging furniture, an awfully small space to begin with and an area we have never quite been happy with.  Before she began the marathon of furniture rearranging, however, we both went outside around 10:30 to dig out our car and clean our parking area which, fortunately, had been plowed early in the morning by Shane.  I had to clear a two foot snow drift which was blocking our car from moving which took some time but I eventually was able to pull it out and park it in our parking area.  While I was doing this, Evie was over at our neighbor's house, the Jones's, helping them look for the keys to their rental car which David had lost the night before while sledding with his grandson.  Evie took over a large, heavy magnet which we have used to find metal objects in the lake, but they were able to finally find the keys using a rake.  Evie then came back and worked on the parking area while I was in the house warming up.  It was a delightful morning, with great, light snow, perfect for snowball making or sledding, like our neighbors' kids were doing.

After a lunch of egg salad sandwiches and vegetable soup, I took a nap while watching some football and Evie surreptitiously started her furniture rearranging.  The problem, however, is that the area is quite small and when we put in more than two pieces of furniture, the area begins to look like a furniture showroom.  While she worked, I napped for only 20 minutes, but I was up just as Evie was pulling our rattan couch off of the front porch into the living room.  I helped her bring it in and then for the next couple of hours, Evie worked at every possible combination of chairs, couches, ottomans, and kalims or rugs until she ran out of steam, out of combinations and finally had enough.  Enough, however, is never enough as she just finished rearranging the area. again,  a few minutes ago and confessed that before she went to bed last night, she did a final rearranging.  Obsessed?

How Many Permutations Can There Be? 

Late afternoon, we were both able to sit down and enjoy dusk with a glass or two of wine.  And it began to snow, so it was another early evening winter wonderland.  For dinner, Evie heated up leftover chicken paprikash and noodles and it was better than the night before, as the flavors seemed to meld and the sauce thickened.  We then watched three episodes of THE NIGHT MANAGER on Amazon Prime.  I had just finished the novel so it was fun for me to see how they changed the story to fit a cinematic experience.  We went up to bed  around 10:30, hoping for and getting a good night's sleep.

Snowed In...Again

8:12

It's just 7:00 and it's still pitch black outside.  I am listening to NPR, sipping coffee, wondering if I should get our snow plow guy to clear our parking area.  We got close to a foot of snow over the last 24 hours and I am not sure we are up to shoveling this much accumulation.  It's a winter wonderland outside; we love it but I wish we could both take more advantage of it rather they snuggling up on our couches much of the day.

What I mean is neither of us have the energy yet to enjoy the outdoors.  The cross country skis and snow shoes are still in the attic, waiting to be brought downstairs and used.  I don't mean to sound like a whiner but I am tired of not feeling energetic, of not wanting to get outside and enjoy the snow. I guess I just have to be patient and it will come.  Enough of my petty concerns.

Snowy Weather

Yesterday was another snowy day, as the white stuff fell on and off during the day, prompting me to get outside a couple of times and clear our parking area, to no avail as it has 8 or 9 more inches this morning.  Neither of us ventured out yesterday, having been smart enough to do our shopping on Wednesday and stocked up on everything we need, groceries and books, which should get us through New Year's Day.  So I spent most of the day reading, making Turkish tea, and took a nice long nap, catching up on the sleep I did not get the night before.  Evie, however, was her busy self.  We had early in the day asked our neighbors, the Fox's over for dinner.  We had not really seen or talked with them since October, so we wanted to get together when we saw they were up for a long weekend.  So Evie spent time in the kitchen, on and off, during the morning and afternoon, prepping our dinner of chicken paprikash, salad, and brussel sprouts.  I  helped when needed and did most of the clean up.

4:16 Colors

We had a really fun evening.  The Fox's arrived in a snow storm at 6:00 and left at one around 9:45. We had appetizers and beer and wine before dinner, as we caught up on what has been happening over the past few months.  Dinner was great, lots of chicken smothered in a paprika sauce, on noodles.  After dinner, we had Turkish tea, home made cookies and listened to various favorite musical groups on Apple Music. They, like us, love it up here when it snows hard, so both of us are looking forward to the weekend.

Dinner With Jim And Barb

When they left, we quickly cleaned up, washed and dried the dishes so we could wake up to a clean kitchen.  I went up to bed to read and Evie stayed downstairs to unwind by watching some TV, ending a good day at the lake.

THE NIGHT MANAGER: JOHN LE CARRE

I am not sure how many of Le Carre's spy novels I have read, perhaps six or seven over the past 40 years. This story takes all kinds of left turns, starting with Jonathan Pine, the night manager of a hotel first in Cairo, then Switzerland.  Pine gets mixed up with a couple of arms dealers and their girl friends, a bad idea and gets recruited by the British Intelligence Agency, some what aligned with the Cousins, the US. Pine's goal is  to go after the big dog, arms dealer Richard Onslow Roper. Pine eventually worms his way into Roper's graces until the higher ups, the politics both in England and the US, blow his cover. Much of the novel is taken up with the squabbling within Whitehall in England, as various players vie for power, sacrificing their pawn, Pine.  Not my favorite, a bit windy with lots of confusion as the British and Americans try to sort out there goals, both political and personal.  If this is the way our Secret Services work, god help us.

A Few More Inches Of Snow

7:32

It's 6:50 and it's snowing outside, and we probably got three or four inches overnight.  It's a wet snow, as the temperature is 31º.  Time to get out the snow shovel again after a weeks hiatus.  It actually feels like cocktail hour because it's still dark, the snow only visible because of our spotlight except that we are drinking coffee, not manhattans.

Yesterday almost seemed normal despite a residue of the pneumonia.  We both felt more energetic but  once we did something, we were ready to hit a couch and relax.  I guess we better get used to it as we were warned that it may take weeks before we feel normal again.  It was, however, always nice to be back in our home after a road trip.  We had a leisurely coffee laced morning, basically making a shopping list for the next few days.  Around 9:30, I went outside, worked on getting rid of some of the ice on our walk, then started and drove both Hondas, making sure they still worked. Both started right up and drove easily.  Around 11:00, we drove off to Wegman's in cloudy weather but no snow. Evie made two grocery lists, so I quickly was off with my list, filled my cart before she was half done, so she sent me off to find more goodies.  Because it was Wednesday, it was a slow but easy day at Wegman's, with short check out lines.  We were out in record time, stopped at Tractor Supply to return a bird feeder which we decided would not work for us.

Our Neighbors, Braving The Lake Ice

We were home around 12:30, carefully unpacked, as we walked gingerly around the ice on our walk. While Evie put away the groceries, I put Ice Melt on the walk, hoping it would quickly work its magic.  Evie warmed up her vegetable soup for lunch and I made myself a meatloaf sandwich and watched some Sports Center.  I could not wait, however, to settle in on the couch and take a nap.  The shopping took a lot out of both of us.  Unfortunately, I napped for only 15 minutes and was up and awake, so I decided to drive to Smtih Library because I had two books on reserve.  Only a few people were in the library though there were lots of parked cars, most likely residents there for New Years and the workers who continue with the work on the new Amphitheater.  There's still a big hole in the ground but lots work is going on. I stopped at Hogan's and ran into our good friends from Hudson, the Cassells, who were on there way home after a few days of skiing at Holiday Valley.

5:16 p.m.

When I got home, Evie was busy making cookies, unable to just relax.  The rest of the afternoon we both spent watching TV or reading, or baking the cookies and cleaning up the kitchen.  We were able to relax with a glass of wine around 5:30.  For dinner, we had eggs, sausage patties and home fries, something I have been wanting for a couple of days.  The sausage, from the Town And Country Food Center in Sugar Grove, PA, was outstanding, another reason to drive there occasionally.  We watched with some trepidation the film ME BEFORE YOU.  We both had read the novel and knew it would be emotional, a tear jerker.  We were surprised by how well it was done and we enjoyed it.  We then watched a couple of episodes of Property Brothers before going up to bed to read.

Home Bodies For A While

Leaving Virginia 

7:48

I am back in the saddle, to use a cliche, sitting in my living room, waiting for the lake to appear slowly through the darkness, reminding of the old days, when we would watch a black and white photo appear in a dark room.  It's 7:30 and I have been up for an hour, listening to Morning Joe, some NPR when I can't take it any more.  We received a dusting of snow last night, it's 25º, and the lake is still frozen enough for a few fishing guys to trudge out on it.  When we arrived home yesterday, the lake looked like an ice rink but this morning, it's white, covered with snow but ruffled in the middle.

Beginning Of Our Drive

Our drive yesterday was so easy, I could have put the car on automatic pilot.  We know the route so well, having made it two or three times a year for the past six years, make the same stops,  and no matter what we do, how many stops, it always takes seven hours.  We were surprised but welcomed lots of blue skies and sun on our drive through Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania but when we entered Chautauqua County, the sky clouded over and we even had a whisper of snow.  We stopped at Gio's Barbecue, about five hours from Virginia, so I could have a pulled pork sandwich and coleslaw for lunch. And we stopped at the  grocery store in Sugar Grove, just on the NY/PA border, for a gallon of Pot Of Gold whole milk, bacon, and breakfast sausage.  And Evie had to have a pot belly of chocolate milk.

Blue Skies Of Pennsylvania

We were home at 2:50, to a gray, wintry looking Woodlawn, roads cleared but a dirty white on its edges.  Our parking space and stoop were both icy, so I better get out the Ice Melt.  We carefully unloaded the car and were unpacked, with everything put away by 3:30, record time for us but we also did not pack much for our five day trip.  We both took showers and felt surprisingly good after our long drive.  We decided to enjoy the dusk, so we got out some appetizers, wine, and Evie warmed up the endaname, and we settled on our couches for a good hour.  It felt like we had never been away. And we were shocked to see a couple of blue fishing huts on the lake, and a couple of guys walking out on the ice around dusk, to check out the thickness of the ice.

Fishing Huts Off Of Long Point

Dinner was easy because we had frozen half of a meatloaf before we left last week, so Evie just warmed it up and we had a tasty dinner.  We watched an old CBS Sunday Morning, as there is not much on TV and most of our series ended last week like Divorce and The Affair.  We went to bed early for us, at 10:00 and both of us had a good night.  Yippee.

Another Long Haul Home

An Attempt At A Family Selfie

Dual Dogs

We are heading up North to Chautauqua after a fun Christmas stay with the Bissells.  It's almost 7:00 and I am the only up at the moment though I will be waking Evie soon so we can be on the road by 8:00.  It looks like some rain, perhaps a light snow when we get nearer to the lake but it should not be anything serious, let's hope.

The day after Christmas is always quiet, if not sad because all the excitement, the anticipation, the waiting, is over for another year.   It was evident with our granddaughters, who planned to get up early on Christmas, but yesterday, the day after all the fun, they slept in until 11:00 or later, not that I blame them.  So for all of us, it was a somewhat boring day, no presents, no big dinner, no football till later (thankfully), so it was a welcome change when my sister Ellen and her husband came over mid afternoon to visit.  A year ago their daughter Julia was married and all the extended family came to the wedding, one of the first times all of us have been together in years.  Anyways, they finally received a copy of the wedding album so she brought it along so all of us could see it, relive the fun time.  They didn't stay long, left just as it was getting dark and time for Halle to go off to volleyball practice.

Earlier, Drew and I and the girls went off to Dick's to pick up some snow gear for the girls who are going skiing at Timberline Ski Resort in West Virginia later in the week.  It's not much fun picking out jackets and ski pants because most outfits were either outrageously expensive or did not fit. Finally, we found some that Halle liked and were reasonably priced.  I don't think North Face or Patagonia are de reguer for a sixth grader skiing for the first time.  While we shopped, Evie and Jill went to the grocery store and Target, as Jill is having Drew's family over on Thursday and decided to make a big pot of chili for the gang, along with bratwurst and hotdogs.  So they picked up all the fixings and when the got home,  Evie made the chili while Jill took Halle to volleyball.  When Jill returned, the four us relaxed for the first time or so it seemed, had a beer or wine, and had an empty hour and a half before we had to go pick up Halle.  And we decided on having Chinese and Thai for dinner, no prepping, so it was nice to just relax and talk.  While we talked, Hayden went through a 45 minute work out downstairs, always willing to stay in shape.  A good girl.

Ready Position

Serving

Around 6:30, Evie, Drew and I went early to pick up Halle so that we could watch her play some. She made the traveling team, so it's high powered for a sixth grader but she thrives on it, does not mind going to practice over vacation, in fact, loves it.  She is the smallest member on the team but holds her own.  We were able to watch her play for about 20 minutes.  On the way home, we picked up some Thai and Chinese food and everyone was hungry so we pigged out in front of the TV, watching old episodes of Friends.

Family Time With The Bissells

After dinner, Evie helped Hayden organize her drawers in her vanity, Drew did up the dishes and then we both watched the football game until half time when I was ready for bed.  Evie finished up with Hayden then played cards with Halle before coming to bed as well early, around 10:30.

wi

Hayden Tidying Up With Granny, Again

The Contentment Of The Day After

A Thoughtful Hayden

Halle's Ready

Cosy In Their Christmas Blankets 

It's still dark here in Virginia at 7:00 and Drew has just come downstairs to join me in a cup of coffee and some Sports Center.  It's warming up here, cloudy but in the 50's and Chautauqua is also warm, in the 50's but rainy.  I wonder if any snow is left.

New Head Phones, Purse, And Hat

Some Of The Gang

Yesterday could be divided into three parts, the opening of Christmas presents, the consecutive viewing of three Christmas films as a family, then more football for Drew and me.  The girls actually slept in on Christmas morning, not getting up until 9:00, much to Halle's dismay.  She vowed to get up early.  So it was a civilized Christmas morning, everyone relaxed and well rested.  The highlight of course is watching the grandchildren open their presents.  And I must say, they seemed to love everything they received, no dour faces, and more importantly, they seemed to get everything they wanted.  There was no 'why didn't I get a this or that.'  They were just satisfied with what they got. How refreshing.  And it's a credit to Jill and Drew to know what the girls wanted and for the most part, got it for them.  No iPads or computers or iPhones this year as they already have them.  Just lots of clothes, shoes and boots, things they need.  The living room was cleaned up and organized by 10:30, in time for Evie to make crepes for breakfast, the request of the girls.  I think Hayden may have overdosed on them because she spent a good part of the afternoon sleeping them off.

Ivory Ella Sweatshirt

New Comforter

After breakfast and the organizing of the gifts, Drew put on Christmas Vacation, everyone's all time favorite and a film we watch every year.  Everyone laughed and loved it but when Scrooged followed, some drifted off like me to relax or take or nap, and reconvened to watch Elf, another favorite.  After the movies, I needed to wake up, so Halle and I took the dogs out for a walk, on a surprisingly sunny afternoon.  Jill, then, made up some guacamole and got out the chips and dip for an appetizer mid afternoon, our lunch more or less.

We were having prime rib for dinner, so Evie prepped it around 4:00 and put the two rib, five pounder in the oven at 4:30.  My sister Linda, by the way, had a mammoth 22 pounder for her four kids and 13 grandchildren.  So I was worried we might not have enough but it was just right.  We had mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts and a salad, and we devoured everything except one slice of beef.  Good planning.

Christmas Dinner

We then watched some more football, fell asleep on couches, surfed on iPads until Drew got out his lasagna dessert which everyone loved despite it being so rich.  Some even has seconds.  Evie and Halle played some cards, the rest of us too lazy or tired to join them, and most went up to bed just after 10:00.  Drew, however, a devoted KC Chiefs fan, stayed up and watched the second half of the Chiefs win over the Broncos and went to bed happy.

Today is our last day in Virginia as we will drive home tomorrow.  I assume today will be a day of shopping, looking for after Christmas deals, and making sure the girls and Jill have the appropriate ski gear as they are going skiing tomorrow and Wednesday in West Virginia with friends.  Our only must do for today is Halle's volleyball practice from 5:00 to 7:00.  We will go out to dinner after her practice, too lazy to fix another dinner.  And my sister Ellen and her husband Walt may stop over mid afternoon if they have the energy after a busy Christmas to drive to Bristow.

A Merry Virginia Christmas

The Happy Bissell Family

Jill And Her Girls

It's a clear morning so far, as I sit here with Drew at 7:30, hoping the girls, Evie and Jill sleep in for another hour or so.  No snow in this part of the States, which is fine with me.  I have been spending most of the day inside anyways.  We are watching Sports Center, not very Christmas like but everything will change once Halle and Hayden get up.  Then the fun begins.

Cozy and Warm on Christmas Eve

Yesterday was a day of waiting for the girls, hanging out for the adults, with only one trip to the store to get some ice.  It's hard to remember what we did other than enjoy the day, each other, and watch some meaningless football game on TV.  We were having Evie's Greek Lemon chicken for dinner, with garlic spinach and rice,  Jill's favorite dinner.  So Evie did some prepping early before Drew, Halle and Hayden put together a chocolate lasagne, layers of chocolate graham crackers, Reese's pieces, crushed peanuts, a peanut butter and cream cheese frosting, topped with whipped cream, a sinful dessert.  Drew and his family are chocolate and peanut butter fanatics, so they always have a competition.  I think this one might win.

Making A Chocolate Peanut Butter Lasagna

Late afternoon, friends of Jill and Drew's were coming over for a libation and appetizers, so Evie prepped dinner just before they came and had it in the oven as they were greeted by the wildly barking dogs.  They are a neat couple and have lived all over the States as well as a number of years in The Netherlands.  David works for the DEA so he had some good stories to tell.  His wife, Suzette, and son, Jake, brought a special appetizer under a dish towel, and when it was unwrapped it, we all yelled hanky pankies, an appetizer Evie always makes.

Enjoying Christmas Eve With The Larsons

They laughed, had never heard it called that before and thought it was a specialty from Chicago called Jimmy Dean's.  They stayed until about 7:30 as we all were enjoying each other, the libations and appetizers.  We had our dinner after 8:00 and sat around talking until 9:30 and were so full that we decided to put off the dessert until Christmas Day dinner.

Christmas Eve Dinner (Jill Enjoyed the Creamed Spinach!)

We then watched Polar Express if you can call it watching as all of us were on our phones, iPads, or computers, looking at photos from relatives on Facebook, or photos we had taken during the day.  We went to bed, reluctantly, at 11:00, hoping to get a good night's sleep.

A Rainy Day Before

Jill And Drew...Ready To Party

Enjoying The Abundant Sunshine

It's now 7:30 and I have been the only one up for an hour.  It's gray and wet outside the sliding glass doors, no snow for us this Christmas.  Everyone is still sleeping.  Jill and Drew were out partying last night at a neighbor's house and did not get home till after midnight.  And Evie was up until they got home because Hayden and Halle had four girlfriends over till then.  I chickened out and went to bed around 11:30.  Evie toughed it out like a good granny.

Like the rest of the United States, all of us hit the shopping trail yesterday, either for presents or food, braving the traffic and crowds, on the biggest shopping day of the year other than Black Friday,  I suppose.  Maybe today will be worst for those who have not planned and left everything until the day before Christmas.  Jill's plan was to leave early, perhaps around 8:00; they left about 11:00, more sensible I suppose.

Wegman's 

So all the gals, all four of them, went off to Wegman's for a massive shopping day, enjoying the rush, having lunch at their fantastic food bar and picking up dinner for us, a pizza and some sushi for the girls.  While they were gone, Drew and I stopped at the car wash, as my car was a mess from our drive on Thursday.  For 12 bucks, I got a deluxe wash, and the place was packed with people getting the inside/out special for 40 bucks.  We then stopped at Best Buy where Drew picked out his Christmas present from Jill, a pair of noise canceling head phones.  It's always nice to get what you want for Christmas.  We then stopped at Total Wines for libations for our dinners and gifts for Jill and Drew's friends.  One hundred and twenty bucks later, we pushed our cart out and found room in the back of the Subaru for all the libations.  I bought a couple of six packs of Goose 312 Urban Wheat Ale, one for Drew and one to take home. It's a beer we grew to like when we were in Dallas for Thanksgiving.

Granny And Hayden After Tidying Up

When we got home, the girls were still shopping so we had lunch, leftover ziti and Evie's vegetable soup.  The girls got home around 2:30 and it took awhile to put everything away.  I then took a nap while Evie and the girls cleaned and organized their rooms, tidying them up so to speak, and then wrapped presents.  Drew had some errands to run, so he was gone for a couple of hours, finally stopping at Harris Teeter to pick up the rib roast for Christmas dinner.

Wrapping Presents With Coco

When Drew returned, he and Jill wrapped presents while Evie and the girls finished up and I took it easy, reading and watching TV.  I still don't have much energy to do anything other than lie around on the couch.

Granny And The Cookie Girls

Around 5:30, Evie helped Jill get the appetizers ready for their party at their neighbors.  And by 6:15, they had their wagon packed with beer, wine, gifts, and appetizers and they were off a couple of blocks to enjoy the evening.  We then had a quick dinner of sushi and pizza, while organizing for the cookie decorating, a tradition whereever Evie goes.

Christmas Cookies

Ugly Cookies

Four of the girls friends came over and had a fun time decorating cookies, seeing who could make the prettiest and the ugliest.  They then hung out upstairs until they got hungry around 10:30 and came down and finished off the pizza.  They were all in rare form, so Evie taught them how to play a raucous game of spoons.

I went to bed listening to them screaming and yelling as they slammed their hands down in defeat or victory. They ended the night playing flip the bottle, Evie being the big winner to everyone's delight. The girls did not leave until 12:30 and Jill and Drew got home at 1:00.  A fun night for everyone except me, the stick in the mud.

BARBARIAN DAYS: WILLIAM FINNEGAN

FInnegan began his love affair with surfing at the age of nine in Hawaii, at about the same time I took became obsessed with surfing as well,  back in the 1960's, thus my interest.  His love of surfing, however, consumed him for the next fifty years as early in life, his twenties, he became a surf bum, in search of the Perfect Wave, like the movie THE ENDLESS SUMMER. It took him all over the world and gave him fodder for both magazine articles and later books, a couple about South Africa during Apartheid, others of his life in other third world countries.  Because the book is ostensible about surfing, he spends a great deal of time describing the waves, his rides, and wipe outs from San Francisco, to South Africa, to Australia, to Bali.  I have to admit it got boring after awhile and the most interesting part of the book was his observations of places he lived, the characters he ran in to in his quest for the perfect wave. He ends up living in Manhattan in the 1990's and 2000's but surfs Montauk, at the tip of Long Island, in all kinds of weather, never putting his board away despite being in his 60's.  He still writes for The New Yorker.  Still surfs.

Abundant Sunshine In Virginia

8:00

Jill And Halle And Their Pups. Coco And Daisy

It's 7:50 and my son in law, Drew, and I are the only one's up although it sounds like Evie's up and taking a shower.  As usual, we are talking politics and sports, are mostly in agreement and it's fun to hear his point of view having been on both the inside and outside of the government as well as the military.

Leaving Chautauqua And Snow

We had an easy drive yesterday, thanks goodness, no mishaps, no delays.  We left Chautauqua in a light snow, wet road but by the time we got past Warren, it started to clear up and the area around Altoona, PA, was in brilliant sunshine, the hills lit by the sun.  It was nice to see.  Our only brief stops were to Mc Donald's for a breakfast sandwich and later, for a chicken sandwich, other than a brief stop for gas in Virginia, our favorite stop, which has a great gift shop as well as a bakery and deli.

Blue Skies And Sun

We got to Bristow at 3:00, basically seven hours after we left and let ourselves into the house because Jill was working and Drew and the girls were out shopping.  We were greeted enthusiastically by the dogs as they now know us well enough to not bark, at least Coco doesn't.  As we were unpacking, Drew and the girls arrived, happy to see us and we got great hugs.  They all look great, so grown up, Halle a sixth grader, the other, Hayden, a sophomore.  We heard all about Halle's new love, her traveling volleyball team and Hayden's cross country season, including an overnight for an Invitational meet in North Carolina, with teams from all over the US.  She loved it, competing with hundreds of other girls.

Halle And Coco

Our Sophomore, Ready For A Night Out

Jill was home around 5:00 and quickly got out the wine and cheese, sausage and crackers, and we sat around catching up, eventually beginning a menu for the next three nights because today was going to be the big shopping day, at both Wegman's, Harris Teeters, and Total Wines for libations. Fortunately, we did not have to do any prepping for dinner because Evie brought along a baked ziti. Hayden, our social butterfly, was going out with friends at 6:30 so we had to have dinner early, at 6:00.  The ziti was great but the banana cream pie Evie made as well was the big hit. Yumster.

We did not last long after dinner, however, as we were tired from the drive.  Uncharacteristically, Evie went downstairs to bed at 8:30.  I stayed up and watched the first half of the football game until 9:30. Drew went over to a buddies to watch the game on a big screen TV, Jill watched a show upstairs as did Halle.  So it was Coco, the dog, and me,  watching the game.