I'm Too Tired To Come Up With A Title

This is a picture I took at the bookstore in Apalachicola when I was there with my girls almost two weeks ago. I have talked about this bookstore so many times and how much I love going there. It was actually a book and needlework store, selling books, of course ranging from literary best sellers to kid books to books about local history, along with very fine yarns and needles and other cool things which I could never pass up buying at least a tiny bit of. The owner was a lady about my age I guess, and over the years we developed a sort of affection for each other. The last time I was there, she too had discovered visible mending and we nattered on about that for quite a while as we'd both been enjoying doing it. And of course she had books on the subject. Beautiful books. We always discussed books, too. 
So when I went in the store with Terry, expecting to see my friend behind the counter and instead there was a youngish guy showing great exuberance and the store looked completely different and the wools and needles were gone, I felt devastated. I was almost afraid to ask what had happened. But I did. Turns out Young Guy had bought the bookstore and so he was the new owner and when I asked about the yarns, he said they were being sold next door at the art gallery. 
Well, shit. 
We went over there and again- no sign of the longtime owner of Downtown Books and Purl. 

I guess she just got tired and I hope she got a great offer. I wish I could have said good-bye to her, though. I bet she has no idea how much I loved visiting her and buying books and fondling all the soft wool and buying some of that too. It was always a highlight of any trip to Apalach. 

Today has been about doing a little Thanksgiving preparation. I made the cranberry relish which is so easy and is all done in the food processor. 

Raw cranberries, an orange, an apple, pecans, sugar, and a little salt. Mix it all together and keep it in the refrigerator for a week or so, stirring it daily. 
I also made two chocolate pecan pies, one for Thanksgiving, one for Lauren's birthday which is coming up soon. I'll freeze both of them and take the Thanksgiving one out next Wednesday. Lauren told Lily that she wanted that pie for her birthday dessert and I was happy to make her one. It truly is one of the richest pies ever to be made. 

I don't even want to tell you what all's in it but I will say that not having had more than a bite or two since May of anything even resembling that, I'd probably die if I ate an entire piece. Even a small one. Of course whipped cream must be involved. But I'm happy with how the pies turned out. The pastry seemed a little weird but it stayed together for the most part and I think it's fine. 

One would think that just doing those two things wouldn't be much of a difficulty but I am pretty tired now. I'm not as spry as I used to be. I look back at all of the many, many Thanksgiving meals I made mostly by myself for god knows how many people and I have no idea how I did it. I do know that there were times when by the time the food had been served to the masses, all I wanted to do was sit on the back steps with a bottle of rum, sipping and crying until I could bring myself to go eat something too. 
This is not an exaggeration. 
But this year won't be like that. I've done two of the things I'm going to bring and the angel biscuits (or rolls, I haven't really made up my mind about this), as well as the turkey and stuffing will all be made on the day although I'll probably get the giblets out of the turkey the night before to make stock with and oh yes, of course there will be the gravy to make and the cream to whip and I'll need to make the cornbread the night before Thanksgiving to make the stuffing with. 
But that is it! I swear!
Sigh. 

We had a visitor a little while ago. The dog from next door showed up as she had done once before. This is the world's friendliest dog but I take it she likes to roam. She came right in the cat door and I welcomed her in and she did a little exploring, tried to eat all the cat food, and had some big slurps of the cat water. 

I called her owner but she hasn't called back yet and Glen actually put the dog back outside. "But, but, Caroline hasn't called me back!" I said. 
"She will. She's been out calling for her. I heard her. Don't worry!"
What? On top of that cluster fuck, Maurice took one look at this poor sweet pooch, spit, hissed, and instead of running away, followed her into the kitchen. A minute later, Maurice jumped with all four paws ON the dog and tried to kill her I guess, and so that's why the dog is outside and also why there was some blood in my hallway. I was indeed impressed with Maurice's bravery, even if I did not condone her attack. That cat did not stand on her hind legs and mess around with her front paws, she gave it the full five means of attack all in one go. Twenty claw-talons and all her teeth. 
Oh god. 

Tomorrow I see Dr. Z. at 10:30 so I am a bit of an emotional wreck although I have experienced worse pre-appointment anxiety. I hope he and I can have a nice little chat about his five children or politics or whatever. The man loves to talk which calms and soothes me, I have to admit. 
I really love seeing him, I just wish the visit didn't involve blood pressure cuffs and scales and exam tables and stuff like that. Couldn't we just go get coffee? I could draw clock faces and identify rhinos and tigers just as well at a coffee shop as I can in that office of his. I'm not actually sure if this is one of those cognition test appointments or not which is probably a slightly disturbing sign that I need one. 

Well, by this time tomorrow the appointment will be long past me and we'll be enjoying our martinis and there will be clean sheets on the bed. 
God I love routine and ritual, especially the Friday ones. I hold on to them like a drowning woman holding on to the side of the lifeboat until her fingernails bleed. 
Really.

Love...Ms. Moon

P.S. I was just informed there's a basketball game tomorrow evening and Mr. Moon will be taking Levon. Levon told me about this during our phone call the other day but he wasn't sure when the game was. 
So. Forget my routine with my husband. But as we all know, I am becoming quite adept at making my own martinis which is really not that hard. I will struggle on alone.