It's a Rich, Full Life

Made the cranberry relish yesterday. Woke up this morning determined to use left-over cranberries plus dying banana in cranberry-banana bread. Had to wash last night's dishes first. Did both. Sent Spouse out to chiropractor and in to work to do a brief chore. While he was gone, had a short spell of feeling Really Rotten--I can't explain what it was, only that it wasn't pain, it was simply extraordinary discomfort, centered initially on the left side of my chest, then moving slowly down to the abdomen, before passing off. Meanwhile, I felt near to fainting, so lay on the bathroom floor (basic rule of a tendency to faint: get down so low you can't fall any further). When the rottens had passed, I was fine. Went of to the chiropractor, got a cup of coffee, had cranberry-banana bread (good, rather cakey--next time more banana, less egg). Then washed the hall carpet.

The hall carpet is a rectangle about eight by four feet, originally off-white but, even when we got the house, heading precipitously toward grunge-gray. Two hours of pretreating the Emily-specific spots and the blots of God-knows-where-this-stain-came-from, and then going over the 32 square feet of carpet repeatedly, and the carpet is now recognizably a former off-white carpet. It looks marginally better, but only marginally. I think we may have to bite the bullet and get something new. I didn't even essay the stairs, which are similarly reprehensibly gray but too tough to negotiate with a forty-pound rented carpet steamer. Throughout this I was superintending Sarcasm Girl's new (and quite successful) attempt at her college essay. I think this is the keeper--certainly better than the carpet!

Then lunch, prepared by Avocado. Then I went off to the store to buy all the veggies and last minute stuff for tomorrow's feast. Assuming SG has finished a draft of the second essay (UC asks for two) we are all going to see Enchanted this afternoon. I'm looking forward to sitting back with my feet on someone else's carpet.

Avocado has declared herself the chef for tomorrow (I'm in charge of dessert) and has come up with a menu from a show on the Food Network, a Thanksgiving with an Italian infection. Dinner appears to be:

Turkey with citrus and herbes de provence
Butternut squash lasagna
Stuffing with pancetta
Mashed potatoes
Green Salad (I insisted)
Gravy
Apple Pie
Pumpkin Pie with cornmeal crust
Sparkling cider
Wine

I'll report back on Avocado's success. May you all have a delicious, sweet, and thankful day.