Rude awakening

Hershey, looking worried. As usual.

Hershey's the best dog ever. Or at least the best dog currently. (Because Lindy, my chocolate Lab who died in 1997, was an absolutely amazing dog.) Whenever I hear someone say how SMART, or how OBEDIENT, or how CLEVER theirs or someone else's dog is, I have to shut my MOUTH.

Because really? Hershey's the best. And if I said so I'd just look like I was arguing. Or showing off.

She does, however, have those times which try men's (and women's) souls. Like this morning, for instance!

I'm an early, early riser, as a rule. But yesterday was a big day (and a bit traumatic, damn you dentures!) and since all the MSNBC and CNN talking heads had the night off, my husband and I watched the rest of The Great Gatsby and all of Somewhere in Time. Meaning I got to bed a little later and a lot more wiped out than usual.

Hershey decided 7 o'clock this morning was LATE ENOUGH ALREADY and started barking her head off. There is no direct line of sight to the outdoors from inside the bedroom, unless you open the blinds (which she, so far, is unable to master), so I'm not sure what spooked her. I've often said she can sense a deer in the yard whether she sees one or not, and that might very well have been the cause of all her excitement.

Or maybe it was a gunshot. Because nothing signals the beginning of the holiday season like shotgun reports blasting through a crisp autumn morning.

Pretty, yes?

At any rate, thank you, Hershey, for that wake-up call. The coffee is hot and I refuse to go shopping on Black Friday. Today would be a good day to clean and decorate and maybe even get some crafty things crossed off the list. Also, WVU plays today – not that it matters, but it's FOOTBALL and football means KNITTING. The slippers and the blue hat are both finished now, so I need to find something new.

Well, new in addition to the very long skinny garter-stitch scarf for no one in particular, just because I had to have something to knit while watching movies last night. My husband does not understand why I can't just sit and watch and not knit. I told him I just can't. Deal.

At any rate, part of the day will be spent putting pattern, yarn and needles together prior to the game. I'm thinking Felted Clogs right now. Subject to change when I put the new knitting magazines away.

Up and at 'em

I'm usually an early riser. It's rare that I don't see 5:30 shining from the clock on the microwave twice a day. Frequently, however, I awake with no real plan or purpose.

Not today, though. As a designated Amish driver, I'm going to pick up the bakery owner at 7:45 for a short shopping trip. We'd be starting out before that if the grocery opened earlier.

The Amish are preparing a community dinner tomorrow to raise funds for their school and they need some last-minute supplies. I'm going to pick up some nail polish remover while we're there, after my attempt at a creamsicle manicure went awry.

What else. Oh, for Vickie, you can click on the Mmmm Mmmm Good tab at the top of the page and scroll down to the How To section for a detailed description for preserving horseradish. Or you can click here. My dad encouraged me to grow it and warned me that you have to process it outdoors. I didn't find the root to be that strongly pungent last year, but perhaps the second year will be hotter.

And I had to toss my frozen product when the electricity went out this summer, so I'm looking forward to making more. It's supposed to be better after the first frost, but one of our Amish neighbors said his grandmother just dug up a root whenever she needed it.

Who really needs horseradish anyway? Apparently my dad did, and he thought I did, as well. Heh.