Now That's What I Call a Haul

Yesterday Durwood and I braved the newly chilly early morning to go to the Farmer's Market with our little Jamaican basket and a list.  We took a list, can you believe it?  Since we're hosting Family Supper tonight and needed specific items I thought a list was in order, and it helped keep us on track.  Of course, other things caught our eye, like fresh parsnips (I don't think we've ever had them when they weren't waxed), green beans, Honey Crisp apples, sweet plums, a wedge of Gouda with wasabi, and we HAD to have our standard FM breakfast of crab rangoons for me and egg roll for him but that stall now has meatball skewers which Durwood has designs on for next time.  I love the way the basket looks when it's piled high with fresh and colorful produce.  Then we drove to Piggly Wiggly to get the kind of hot dogs Durwood likes and, of course, found things we couldn't leave behind like a pair of little strip steaks for less than $5 and a frozen, 1# slab of wild-caught salmon on sale for $5 too, in addition to the 10# of chicken leg quarters that we meant to buy.  I think we'll both be amazed to see the bounty in the freezer when we defrost it next weekend and make a list of its contents.  After the Pig we went to Woodman's for the fennel bulb I needed for my red cabbage slaw, a package of Salmon's wieners which are my faves, plus the rest of the things on the list when we realized that their prices compare with Walmart and it'd save us a trip.  We put so much in the cart that I had to go out and get another bag. (I detest using plastic bags anymore, they seem like such a bad idea since they nevernevernever decay; we use the few we get to wrap up disgusting things like fish and chicken skin)  And it was it was nearly noon when we got home so Durwood hurried to portion out and vacuum pack (or suck) the chicken parts so he didn't have to refreeze them while I emptied all the bags we'd gathered and topped the veggies so they'd fit in the fridge.  Today's Photo a Day theme is "before bed."  This is what my spot looks like just as I crawl in, there's my notebook, pencil, and the art of the day; I lean on my pillow and scribble my little writing then gather them up, slap them on the notebook (nicely so as not to disturb my beloved), snap off the light, and crash.  I'm a good sleeper, maybe even a champion sleeper.  (remember that, DS & DD?)

September 23--Julien Vallou de Villenueve, Female Nude, Reclining, with Arm Raised.  "Why's there a naked lady down there?" Jacob asked, pointing into the ravine at their feet.  "There isn't," Ray said, "where?"  Jacob flexed and straightened his arm, his finger stiff.  "There, right there by that fallen tree."  Ray leaned forward and squinted.  "Maybe it's just a, I don't know, one of those store statue things, you know, a... a man..."  "A mannequin," Jacob said. "I don't think so, she doesn't look fake enough."  "Let's go see."  They said it together and worked their way down the slope, holding onto saplings and bushes to keep from falling.

Okay, then, that's totally not what I expected, but that's writing for you.  I'm off to toast baguette slices for my ricotta and pesto appetizers.  Happy days!
--Barbara Sue