Sunday

Moving along, and still here. I know this post-once-a-day thing will not last for me - makes me feel that I have to come up with some drivel just to fill the page. I am surpised any of you come back - I know it's just for the E pictures. My posts, especially this month, really bounce around. I read others and there seems to be such nice consistency.

Our house is preparing for the Thanksgiving holiday. We've been working on the front courtyard for severla months - well, if you consider looking at it and thinking "I really should do something about that" as working. A few weeks ago I finally finished digging and pouring footings for the to-come-someday overhead thingy (when we figure out what to put up) and two weeks ago ordered the fill gravel to level the area out. This was a small load compared to other deliveries, only ten tons dumped out in front of the house. This was readily moved into the courtyard and spread around. Last week we ordered the flagstones that B selected, and they showed up a few days ago. Yesterday I rented a big compactor, and with the help of a friend proceeded to smash all the soft gravel flat into a nice compact level field. I guess that's what a compactor does, smash stuff compactly. We then scattered around the stones, and magically the courtyard looks pretty good.

Today I finished wrapping the drip line around the edge, and we went out and purchased stuff for the fountain - always like the sound of water. I've got it temporarily set up so we can be sure it's OK before committing to the digging the hole for it thing. And we moved most of the potted plants from their summer place in the back under the peach tree back to the courtyard. Frost is coming soon, and some of them must be protected. So we hope for no freezing this year. And some time with photoshop to get the finished pics out for display here.

Then off to Vons to shop for the big meal. I'm a lover of the holiday turkey, and always purchase a bigger one than needed just to have leftover sandwiches for several days. This time it's a 13 pounder, for the three of us - darling daughter is coming over with E while son in law drives up one of the cars to Portland. So predictions of turkey sandwiches for the next two weeks will probably come true. I was so close to getting that 18 pound bird though, but I know B would have shot me. Along with the requisite yams and potatoes and stuffing. I put lots of stuff in the stuffing.

Passing through the produce department I had a very difficult time not laughing too loudly. There I found a pile of bags of pistachios, offered two for the price of one. Evidently no extra charge for the free meat included.