week 47 - Ready for Winter

I got my wish for a week with less drama. I had some fun and did my final prep for winter. All good.

I woke up Monday craving a burger. I called my friend Lorri to see if she'd be up for going out to lunch but she was busy so we scheduled it for Thursday - an early lunch for her birthday. I thought I could make it until then but decided I didn't need to so took a load to the burn pile, stopping on the way to place a take out order at The Branding Iron and picking it up after unloading. It was delish and totally hit the spot. After lunch I roasted some garden tomatoes and made banana bread to take to knitting but despite making it my entire life and knowing the recipe by heart, I screwed it up, using baking powder instead of soda so it didn't rise. Sheesh!

After knitting Monday night, I only had a library board meeting on Tuesday night and a dentist appointment on Wednesday afternoon. Otherwise I was knitting and watching Ken Burns' American Revolution series on PBS. His documentaries are perfect for knitting because they focus on a picture, in this case all paintings because photography didn't exist back then, and talk for a few minutes. I don't have to worry about missing something if I look down at my knitting and learned a lot so it was a good watch.

Thursday was my social day. I finished my monthly challenge socks in the morning then picked Lorri up for her birthday burger lunch. When we were done, we went to the local coffee shop - Mocha C's - to chat for a bit. I dropped her home and headed to Lincoln for turkey dinner in the dorms with Anne and Rene. They were going to volleyball at 7:00 so dinner was early at 5:00. It was our 3rd year for turkey dinner in the dorms and it really is delicious and a good deal at $11 for retirees. I dropped them at the arena and then hit Super Saver to buy my Thanksgiving vittles, hit the nearby Goodwill (bought nothing) and got gas at Sam's. Only when I was halfway home did I remember that I'd meant to go to Menard's to buy my Christmas trees. Oh well. I finished a charity hat when I got home and cast on another.

Friday was drizzly and cold so was recharge day for me. I chatted with friends and my sister Dottie, again. It was the 3rd time that week but this time she was calling from Goodwill in Indiana about some potential sock yarn she'd found. It looked like it to me so she bought me 3 bags and sent this pic when she got home. Yay! That'll come with my stocking presents and I'll bleach test it then. I made a big pot of red sauce, which simmered for hours on the stove, which was nice on a chilly day. I ended up with 10 individual servings for the freezer plus enough for pasta that night. 

The weather on the weekend would be our last warm temps so I was on a mission to do absolutely everything that needed doing outside to be ready for winter. First up was cutting the perennials in the parking (the strip between the sidewalk and street) because if I don't, it acts as a snow fence and dumps all the snow on my sidewalk. After I took that load to the city burn pile, I dumped the last few pots and planted my two medium sized mums in the same bed where I'd put the rose bushes from the east side bed. I put the sprinkler on that bed to give them a good soak before winter and then disconnected the hoses and drained them, leaving them on the slight slope of my driveway in hopes that gravity would get the last water out. 

With all that done, Sunday was easy. I put the hoses in the garage and swapped the baker's rack for the new plant stand I'd tried that didn't work. When my mower kid came for the last mow, which was really about chopping up the silver maple leaves rather than cutting the lawn, I called it good. I was ready for winter just in time for cooler, late fall weather.

I call that a good week. I had some fun with friends, crossed a few things off and was 100% ready for winter - not just the garden but mentally too. I would be hosting Thanksgiving for Anne and Rene the next week so would be cleaning like a banshee for a few days but then would be ready for Christmas prep and cozy inside days. Anyone else?