They Can Make Us Go Back to Standard Time But...

I can't change my inner alarm clock.  Guess what time it was when I woke up this morning?  5:47 AM.  It's still dark then, because it was still dark yesterday at 6:47 AM when I was leaving the house to go to breakfast with the dive guys.  Arrrgh.  *shakes fist at sky*  I had high hopes of sleeping a little later, an hour more perhaps, I even stayed up until midnight to ensure success.  But I didn't inform my bladder and then my brain kicked in, and sleep was lost.  I need to make a cauldron of soup today and seed a big bare patch in the renters' back yard but maybe I can grab a couch nap later.

The baby shower was lovely.  Both expectant mamas looked radiant, just like they're supposed to, the daddies and grandpa stopped in for a minute and looked very glad to "have" to leave, the luncheon (small salads followed by individual pot pies, with 3 kinds of bars for dessert) was delicious, and the gifts were darling and generous.  My knitting was a big hit and for once it wasn't the only knitting in the room; AZ's sister crocheted darling hooded blankies for each baby and a friend of HZ's knitted pullovers for them.  I need to make more of those colorful widdle sockies, I have more colors of yarn so more socks must appear.  Aunt M, the shower's hostess, gave each prospective grandma (there were 3 in the room plus one who has been a grandma for about 5 days) a board book called Grandma's Fun Book.  (don't know where she got it, I can't find a link to it or the publisher online)  It's a basic picture book with few words but there's a place on each page for you to tuck in a picture of yourself so that baby sees you whenever the book is read.  It's a lovely gift, and I need Aunt M's address so I can send her a thank you note.  The serving tables were lovely with white cloth tablecloths overlaid with natural burlap and lengths of lace fabric; on the punch table weathered wood crates were used as risers and to hold pint mason jars with handles and at the end of the table were a couple baskets of airline size bottles of vodka if you leaned that way.  Very considerate.  A very few games were played and the prizes were lovely printed hankies and little felted coin purses.  Aunt M also chased down a set of Beatrix Potter bowl & two-handled cups for each baby because that was what her late mother always gave at showers.  (Evidently they'd stopped making them for a while but have begun again.  It's a good thing too, Aunt M's a formidable woman who makes things happen.)

November 3--Pierre-Francois-Leonard Fontaine, Sketchbook of a Journey to the Chateau d'Eu.  Giselle wondered if the row of linden trees were planted when the long drive was paved or if they came after.  The trees were tall and full and rounded, looking very much like the lollipop trees small children draw.  She would have asked Peter but they'd had a small argument about seventy miles back and hadn't spoken since.  She wondered if his mother would even notice they weren't speaking.  When she had met Sylvia March at the holidays, the older woman had barely acknowledged her.

Ah, mothers-in-law, ya gotta love 'em.  The sun's playing peek-a-boo with the clouds, somehow making it look colder out there than I think it is.  Maybe because the grass was all frosty this morning.  See?
--Barbara