It’s been extremely cold here, with some snow, yet here we were back at HQ, which has taken on a more festive look.

Before that, we dropped in to Dark Star Books to visit Spooky, the current bookstore cat, catch up with the humans, and actually buy books!   I acquired some old and newer classics to read that were absent from my library.

Chanukah sped by as usual, only faster this year!  You blink, and it’s over.  Short but sweet.  Was it only a week ago that my son & co. were here?  The miracle of Chanukah: the candy lasted for eight + days, not one!  Here is the grand finale (plus Misu overseeing the ‘hood).

It almost reached 60º today, so we took the opportunity to walk around Charleston Falls on a not frigid day.  The old trees stood stark and imposing without all the frilly greenery, and the falls were trickling harder.

On the way home, we checked out a Turkish/Russian grocery near us, and came out with lots of bulk spices, Turkish coffee, and other useful, hard-to-find food items.  (I did not succumb to their aisles of Turkish Delight.)  It’s good to see growing immigrant micro-communities popping up all around us, including Central Asians, Koreans and Southeast Asians, Mexicans, Indians, Middle Easterners, and others.

Here are E’s latest, greatest Challot, speaking of Eastern Europe.

Yesterday we hung out at the Emporium/Underdog Café in YS (for some reason the Tavern was closed again–going through some kind of transition, we think).  It was quiet there, and a guy was playing the piano in the background.  We got some good coffee and a sandwich, looked at books, and grabbed a Tröeg’s stout pack.  The retired pandemic life.

At least the Village of YS has strict COVID restrictions and precautions for all its businesses, being more progressive than surrounding towns, so we feel safer spending time there.

We’re already at the Chanukah halfway point.  It always seems to speed by.

Just an update to say my son and co. (D&C) did visit!  It was a flying visit, as they were only midpoint in their long journey home, so the few photos I took were also on the fly.  Still, it was wonderful to finally see my son and other family members after so long.  I can barely believe they actually stopped by.  We got to light the very first Chanukah light together, and I fed them Indian-style leftovers (latkes, etc.) and pie.  Misu was happy to see “her boy” again.  As was I.

Today the leftovers from TG magically transformed into a spicy Indian curry.  A perfect segue into Chanukah, beginning tomorrow evening, which will no doubt be Sephardic-style, knowing me.

I’m happily looking forward to a possible visit by Avdi and co. on their way home from TG in PA, where the (G)kids are, to MO.  We’re about the halfway point on their route.  It feels like forever since I’ve seen them.

My mother turned 94 today.  She’s like a demented zombie, barely aware of who anyone is or what they’re saying.  She responds in monosyllabic noises, if at all.  It’s pretty strange.  But hey, I called.

Here is Misu the Gargoyle on a shelf.

A.K.A. Thanksgiving.  ’nuff said about genocide.

Good excuse to drink some excellent local craft coffee stout and eat stuff.  Here is some festive décor.  And pies.  We really do like pie.  Reminds me of a certain MST3K Marathon, a TG tradition among pie enthusiasts.  I may even dredge up Alice’s Restaurant Massacree from the crypt.  That’s how we oldsters do TG.

It’s literally freezing here.  Aagghh.  I mean colder than the normal cold November in Ohio.  I got spoiled down south, and it’s hard to adjust.  Normally I’d still be doing gardeny things.  My brain is even more sluggish than the rest of me, as I go into dormant mode.  I’ve got like ten layers on.  Did I mention NOT a winter person?

What I am thankful for is not having to travel anywhere for Thanksgiving.  Already the craziest travel day of the year, add to that surges in COVID all over the country that will only get worse over the holidays.  I’m quite content to just stay home and sane.  Well, relatively sane-ish.

I did what little gift-shopping and shipping I need to online.  We bought and stashed our TG ingredients early on.  I have my few Chanukah items ready for Sunday night.  The rest of the holidays should be spent in stasis, if possible.  After the xmas eve Chinese, that is.

Here are E’s excellent homemade pumpkin and cherry pies!  And a pussycat in a pear tree!

Yesterday I got my Moderna booster shot, and all I got was this sticker to prove it–and enhanced immunity from COVID!  My arm’s a little sore, but that’s it.  I strongly recommend getting your booster.  And…it’s free.

This is our “Chanukah tree” by E.  More like a sapling.  It has a cat on top.  We don’t do Christmas as such, but one can never have too many sparkly lights!

It’s been cold and rainy here, which means I turn into The Hibernator.  T-shirt weather in December is but a dim memory, one of a few good ones of Tennessee.  I guess I’m willing to trade that in for decent healthcare, reasonably open-minded people, mostly competent contractors, more environmental awareness, and the headshop village of YS, to name a few.

Sunday looked like this–cold and snowing.

Today it was 65º, like a windy spring day.  I actually mowed the lawn.  Asters are still blooming like crazy, while tree leaves persist in brilliant red.  It was a freak warm day–it’s going back to frigid tomorrow.  I’ll take what I can get.

That was after a visit to HQ, where I finally got my long-awaited official Tavern t-shirt, courtesy of E.  That rated two beers, one from Michigan and one from right here in Yellow Springs.  Here’s a pretty view from their back room.