Sunday, November 22, 2009


Good Sunday afternoon!  We've had a quiet weekend here at the Wood household.  Friday, I left work early to join Pk and some of his coworkers for lunch.  I've heard about these folks for a couple of years but had never met them.  It was good.He works with some nice folks.  


  While they went back to the office to work for another hour, I went to Barnes and Noble (bookstore) and bought a cup of coffee and decided to sit and knit and wait for Pk.  I found a table in the sunshine and sat by the window (it was very crowded for early Friday afternoon).  I was listening to The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs and working on a sock.  It was just about perfect. 

 I sat there for an hour and then Pk and I got on the train to come home and went to "our" bookstore and sat for a few hours. ( Ours is bigger and was far less crowded).  I bought the new Stephen King book, Under the Dome, (1074 pages!) and the new Star Trek movie.  I'm rationing myself with the book.  I love Stephen King's books and more than once I've given myself a headache reading far into the night and early morning.  I want to read this for enjoyment.  It'll probably take a long while but who's in a hurry?  (btw?  So far, it's really good).

Saturday was laundry day and some spinning was accomplished but that was about all. I woke up with a skull crushing migraine and was moving slowly about the day.    I'm in the home stretch with Pk's alpaca.  When I went to bed, the headache had moved off and left some residual soreness behind. 

We got up early today and went to Produce Junction.  It's a place where they only sell fruits and veggies and they sell them cheaper than the grocery stores.  Sometimes, this means that you have to buy produce that is not quite ripe so you have to make sure you've got time to let it sit.  And you've got to know your fruits and veggies.  Some things just won't ripen anymore once they're picked.   We got apples for pies on Thursday and some other goodies. 

When we got to the grocery store, we found out that our Thanksgiving meal was threatened.  The store has NO CANNED PUMPKIN.   None.  Nada.  I asked one of the managers and he said Libby was having some problems and they don't know if they're getting ANY in this week at all.  Now, I have no idea how much pumpkin pie is consumed in this country all year but I would make an educated guess that most of it is consumed the fourth Thursday in November.  When I first got married, I bought a pumpkin and cooked it and pureed it and made the crust from scratch. (I was soooo good).  Nowadays, I use plain canned pumpkin (I like the texture better than what I cooked myself, not to mention that it is WAY easier) and spice it up myself.  Today, I bought cans of pumpkin pie mix (I know!  I've never bought them before).  I was desperate and I didn't want to buy a frozen pumpkin pie.  And what if they never get any regular canned pumpkin in?  I couldn't risk not having pumpkin pie (I TOLD you about my family's obsession with traditional foods, right?)



Pk was afraid it wouldn't make a good pie so he 'suggested' I make a pie today to make sure it would be ok for Thursday.  Since I bought enough for 4 pies, I did.  The mix has sweetener and some spices in it.  You have to add evaporated milk and eggs.  I added extra spice and it really tasted the same as always.  The pie baked up beautifully.  I also made the fruit relish so it can sit and absorb all the cranberry flavors. 

There is beef stew in the crock pot and bread in the bread machine and the house smells so good. There is a quiet peacefulness in the air and I am loving it.  Pk and El are working on fixing her computer.  I'm working on my wildflowers shawl.  I'm almost done the body and getting ready to start the knitted on edging.  I'm really hoping I can remember how I did it last time.

The rest of the evening will be dinner, maybe a movie and then an early bed.  It's a short week for us (YAY!!!) but it'll be a busy three days.  This time of year is tough for a lot of people and my job gets harder from now until January. 


I hope you are all having a good weekend and that it contained enough work so you feel productive and enough play time so you feel rested.  Have a good week!

10 comments:

Rose Red said...

Pumpkin pie is such a foreign concept to me!! I'd like to try it though, I think it probably tastes quite different to what I imagine.

But I'd have to make it from scratch, since I'm pretty sure we can't buy canned pumpkin stuff here either!

Jeanne said...

Our store was out of pumpkin for a few weeks but they have it now so we are stocked up. It sounds like a wonderful Sunday!

I love Steven King too - looking forward to hearing how you like it.

roxie said...

It sounds, except for the migraine, like a wonderful way to spend the days. Books with the husband, spinning, a practice pie . . good use of the time!

Bezzie said...

Oh no! That blight has hit Jersey??? I didn't think it would! Hmmm...maybe I can sell some of my frozen hand-processed pumpkin on the black market? Hee hee!

Galad said...

It does sound like a lovely, relaxing weekend. I can almost smell the bread and stew. May have to dig the crock pot out this week.

DPUTiger said...

I can't remember where I read it, but there is a legit national canned pumpkin shortage. Don't remember why either. Gee, I'm helpful, huh?

Glad you had a good weekend. I'd get all excited about the short week but I'll be so busy in my unemployed life that this week will actually be busier than a normal week!

Louiz said...

Ouch on the migraine:(

We don't have pumpkin pie here and we have no idea what it tastes like. I suppose just out of curiosity we should make and eat one!

Olivia said...

Don't know about pumpkin pie but I love Stephen King too and I am really looking forward to reading the new book.

Bells said...

oh I love pumpkin pie! we had it once when the man we lived next door to made it for his thanksgiving and gave us a spare one. Yummy, even though I never understand using canned pumpkin. I get it's easier but I like the idea of fresh.

Dianne said...

I use canned pumpkin in the dogs' food, so it looks like I had better stock up on it when I see it! PK was good to offer to be a taste tester for the pumpkin pies. What a good guy! :-)

Happy Sunday!  I am sitting here working on my sweater made with the cashmere yarn my husband gave me for my birthday last year. I’m further...