Is it too early to switch over my clothes? Time for flannel sheets? I don’t know! One minute, I’m eyeing that cable knit sweater. The next, it’s seventy-five degrees. Same goes for that batch of soup I made on Thursday when it was cool, rainy and gray. Then, I had to freeze it because it got warm and muggy. Early fall is funny like that. But, I don’t really mind it all that much. Heck, I’ll take every scrap of warm weather I can get! We haven’t had a hard frost yet, so gardens are still sporting some of their late summer blooms, with a few potted mums thrown in for good measure. The trees …

Lately, Charlie’s been driving me crazy with all his aches and pains. Actually, it’s not the aches and pains, because I get it, we’re old. It’s the fact that he won’t do anything about ’em. And when I gently suggest he maybe take a Tylanol and call the doctor to see what’s what, we end up with a shoot the messenger situation. I’m worried about him and want to strangle him, all at the same time. I’ll let him complain to you for a change. Write What You Know I’ve heard ’em say, “Write what you know” OK, I’ll give it a go: My ingrown toenail, let’s start there A daily source of my despair …

Have you ever been driving around, pass a house and think, I wonder if they’re having a yard sale, or if that’s just how they live. Or someone walks by you at the mall and you’re like, Geez, Louise, are they wearing perfume or is that bug dope. There are entire days where I just wonder around in my head. I wonder what I’ll make for supper. I wonder if I have time to clean to bathroom before I leave for work. I see a dog with their head stuck out of a car window, wind whipping and I wonder what they’re thinking. When I wonder what Charlie’s thinking, I’ll ask him and more often …

During the summer, when I’d find myself talking to someone with the sniffles, and I’d ask, “Are you sick?” “No, it’s just allergies. They’re wicked bad this year.” And I’d breathe a sigh of relief, because you know what? I don’t have time to get sick. I mean, who does? But now we’re heading into the fall, my friends, and that means cold and flu season will be here before you know it. Throw in Covid, RSV and whatever new creeping crud is on the horizon, we need to be considerate of others. I’m begging you, if you’re sick, stay home! You’ll get better quicker if you take care of yourself, and you won’t be …

Alas, the end of summer is upon us. But to be honest, we’ve been feeling it up here in Mahoosuc Mills for a couple of weeks now. Though it heats up during the day, there’s a definate nip in the air, once the sun goes down. “Good sleeping weather,” Charlie calls it. In the evening, I make sure to close all the windows (except in the bedroom), so it’s not too chilly in the house, come morning. And our first shipment of mums has arrived at the A&P. I haven’t surrendered to buying any yet, but it’s only a matter of time. The Moose Megantic High football team is running drills down to the field. …