If there's a negative side to autumn, it's these rainstorms that come in as the weather is starting to change. I don't mind cloudy, but rain makes everyone crazy around here—if Atlantans lived in Oregon, traffic would come to a complete stop—and the barometric pressure gives me constant headaches. I drove home on Friday in a constant drizzle, but it came to an end by the time I got home, which made Tucker extremely happy. It also held out long enough for us to sit outside at the West Cobb Diner to eat our dinner. We haven't eaten outside in six months. Later we went over to the West Cobb Barnes & Noble to check out the clearance table and the magazines.

This morning we were up at nine to drive out to Betsy's Hallmark for the October ornament premiere. James was there for the P-38 Lightning; he actually bought two, one to decal as he believes it's 144 scale and he has decals to fit it. He also bought the Smaug ornament. I got the country Santa to go with the woodland tree and two little skating birds.

From there we went to Trader Joe's. We got more chicken sausage, edamame crackers, oyster crackers, some nuts and chocolate for desserts, and James stocked up on pumpkin bars. They have these fruit bars he loves (apple, strawberry, and blueberry; they also make fig but he doesn't buy those), but only in October do they have pumpkin bars (in November they will swap out for cranberry bars). He usually wakes up with really low blood sugar and these are a healthier solution than chocolate or something else sugary. Trader Joe's was literally filled with pumpkin everything, candy, cookies, desserts, chips, soups, premade dinners, cereal, baked goods, mixes...we even bought an "autumn harvest" spaghetti sauce that has butternut squash and pumpkin in it. We thought it would be good with the lobster ravioli.

For lunch we went to Williamson Barbecue. The pork riblets appetizer is so big I just got it as a meal and still brought half home. James got the big sampler platter and took the ribs and the potato skins and a chicken tender home for another supper. I'm going to have to start bringing my own sauce, though; theirs is very vinegary. I'm surprised it's not coming up on me more this evening.

We were home only for about an hour before getting dressed and heading out in...yes, the rain, again, to the Church of Our Saviour in Virginia Highlands, where John Campbell and Oreta Hinamon were solemnizing their civil ceremony. Oreta belongs to several of the groups at Our Saviour, including the altar guild, so the priests all know her, and the sermon even quoted from The Princess Bride. They had a High Mass with the usual beautiful singing. (Our Saviour is also very fond of incense. After about fifteen minutes James had to retreat to the back of the church to be able to breathe. I kept taking photos and breathing through my nose.)

It was a lovely ceremony. Father said anyone who was baptized could take Communion, so after wrestling with this a little, I did. It made me feel better. I wish James had come forward and at least had a blessing (if you crossed your hands on your chest Father would give you a blessing rather than Communion). He said he didn't feel comfortable, but after the last few months I can't think of anyone who needs one more.

There was a "collation" downstairs in the Undercroft after the service and here we got to sit down and talk to everyone: some folks had come in steampunk costumes (John was in a lovely 19th century suit, Oreta wore a kimono), mostly everyone else was casual, or, like us, casual with a fillip (James wore his kilt and a button-down shirt, but no tie or jacket, and I wore my grey pants, but with my blue work blouse). It was raining so annoyingly,  Charles showed up in a trenchcoat. Naaman came in his Army Dress Blues, looking very spiffy! Took photos, ate cheese and crackers and little sandwiches in quarters and meatballs and baklava, and talked, talked, talked until it was way after six and time to head home. It was raining when we left, done when we got home, again to Tucker's great relief, although I practically had to chivvy him up the street, as something in the other direction was distracting him.

Finally I dubbed off one more episode of Doctor Simon Locke to finish a disc. I'm trying to put them in some type of chronological order, as they showed in syndication in a very erratic manner, with early episodes scattered in with later ones. I'd like to get this done so I can send a copy to Liz, who doesn't get RetroTV. One down, four to go...

Labels: Christmas, food, friends, shopping, television, weather

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