The raindrops were constant. I heard them as soon as I woke up. It was early for me so I was hoping to go back to sleep, but Henry was up and about and noticed my hand was out of the covers. He licked it. He knew I was awake. That was it. He jumped on the bed and gave me his exuberant morning greeting. I got out of bed and went downstairs.

The rain is going stay around for most of the day. Of course it will. I have to go to the dump.

Hyannis is always a daunting destination. I don’t like the traffic, but I bit the bullet and went anyway. The god of parking was with me, and I found spots close to the stores, all three of them. It took two trips to bring the bags into the house.

When I was a kid, my mother usually grocery shopped on Friday nights. We loved Friday nights. My mother bought goodies like cookies and Hostess cupcakes and chips. We went after them right away. She always warned us that once they were gone they were gone for good. They went quickly.

My mother always bought Oreos. They went quickly because Oreos were our favorite cookies. We all had preferred techniques for eating them. My sisters separated the two sides. They’d eat the side with the cream and feed the other side to the dog. I sometimes separated the sides as well, but I didn’t share with the dog. The Oreos were too valuable to share given their short shelf life in our house. Other times I’d keep the cookies whole and dip them in milk. The cookie part got a little soft from the milk. I loved them that way.

Pieces of my childhood have stayed with me. The biggest piece is Christmas, but my memory drawers hold so much more especially those Oreos and all the foods my mother made. I have favorites: mashed potato icing on the meatloaf, fried dough on meatless Fridays, my mother’s squash dish at special dinners and lemon meringue pie at Thanksgiving. My mother gave us all so much, but I bet she never realized the importance of the gift of even a mere meatloaf.

Last night was cold. This morning isn’t much better despite the sun. The furnace is blasting so I’m comfy. That’s all that counts.

My Red Sox are going to the World Series. They beat the Astros and Verlander last night 4-1 which is also how the series went. The Sox lost the first game but won the next four, three of them in Houston. David Price pitched a gem of a game. I was excited and jumped up to cheer. It woke Henry.

When I was a kid, boys played baseball and girls played softball. My brother was on a farm team, and I’d sometimes go to his practices with him. I remember we were at the East School field when my brother’s coach asked me if I wanted to play as he was down a couple of players. I was thrilled. I don’t remember what base I played, but I do remember hitting. I hit a double, a single and a triple, one short of the cycle. The coach was amazed that a girl could hit so well. I wasn’t offended. Those were the days of girls doing girly things and boys doing what boys do and never the twain shall meet.

My cleaning couple came yesterday. They loved my Halloween creatures all of which are now in the living room including the one which scared Henry. My favorite creature is the ghoulish one. His eyes flash and his head moves back and forth, but the best part is creepy music plays, and he moans in the eeriest way. Vibration triggers all of the sounds and the head movements. I wish I could explain that to Henry. He runs and all of a sudden the music starts and the creature moans. Henry barks until the moaning stops.

My laundry is done, the bird feeders are filled, my house is clean, the plants are watered and the trash is in the car. I have no lists. I am at sea.

The Red Sox game felt eternal. It was a roller coaster which didn’t end until close to one thirty. The Sox would lead then the Astros would lead then the Sox and then the Astros. In the bottom of the ninth, the Astros had the bases loaded. I forgot to breathe, but the Sox saved me from certain death behind a wonder of a catch by the left fielder Benintendi. Find score: 8-6.

Yesterday I did do a few more chores. I finally finished that laundry. My mother would have said the laundry was in the hall so long it grew legs. I folded the first load yesterday and the second load this morning. I filled two baskets.

Today is a sunny but chilly day. I went out to get the papers without my trusty sweatshirt and got cold. I hurried into the house and to warmth and fresh coffee.

Henry is afraid of zombies. I had one in my hall coming out of the floor and Henry wouldn’t get off the couch. He kept growling deep in his throat. I moved the zombie into the living room and Henry safely got off the couch. Today I avoided watching the movie Resident Evil about a research facility where the entire staff has been turned into ravenous zombies. I was afraid Henry might catch a glimpse.

When I was a kid, our monsters were the traditional Wolfman, Frankenstein, Dracula and the Mummy. They scared us by what they didn’t do and what we didn’t see. Mostly we scared ourselves. Our imaginations ran wild. We never saw Dracula bite his victims, but we knew what he was doing behind that cape. That the films were black and white added to the fright. Those old films are still my favorites.

We didn’t have many Halloween decorations when I was a kid. We carved pumpkins, and my mother put candles inside. The pumpkins were on the front steps and stayed lit as long as there was no wind. My pumpkin always looked pretty much the same year to year with triangle eyes and a triangle nose. Its mouth had that toothless grin. I have a couple of sugar pumpkins just for decoration. I still have to buy my carving pumpkin. Sadly, my skills have not improved over time. About the only change is I add teeth to the grin.

Last night the wind was ferocious, and it poured. I expected the rain, but the wind was  a big surprise. It kept rattling the window in my bedroom. I was watching Grimm on my iPad and kept muting it so I could hear the wind.

This morning is sunny. I checked the deck from the kitchen window and saw some of the candles once hanging on the trees are missing, probably blown to the ground. I’ll retrieve them later. The birds are still flying in and out of the feeders. I never tire of watching them.

My days have been quiet which leaves me little to chat about here on Coffee. Errands are boring. My laundry still needs doing. I’m not even dressed, but I did get dressed yesterday so that counts. Besides, being busy is overrated.

I noticed that all the bed covers on TV are fluffy. People have pillows under their heads and behind them are pillows which match their quilts. My bed is totally different. The comforter leaks. Every day I find down or what passes for down on the floor. I then find a hole in the comforter and stuff the down in that hole. The holes are easy to find. I had a spread, one I liked. It is now Henry’s spread. He chewed holes in it and frayed the edges. I keep it at the bottom of the bed, and Henry sleeps on it every night. Every now and then he chews on it again. I figure it’s when he is bored. I’ve been shopping for a new comforter and a duvet cover with steel edges.

Baseball will have my full attention today. I’ll cheer for the local boys, for my Red Sox. I’ll have a couple of hot dogs for dinner, perfect baseball food. I’ll wear my Red Sox shirt and my baseball cap with a B. Wally, the Red Sox mascot, will have a prominent place on the table. My NESN bobble heads are Jerry Remy and Don Orsillo. Neither has been calling the regular season Red Sox games. Jerry is fighting cancer again and Don is with San Diego now, but they are still my favorite play by play announcers so I’ll honor their memory by putting them front and center. Go Sox!!

Okay, I solved my problems, but it took a while. First I was able to get my computer to recognize the network it has been using for years. The iPad was next. It took a bit of trial and error, but it too fell in line. Alexa was the most stubborn. She today refused to comply. She said over and over that she was not connected to the internet. I told her to shut up. She didn’t hear me. I went on line and was able to find a page of instructions which I followed step by step. Hooray! Alexa was back on-line.

By the time I was finished, it was getting late so I left to do errands. It was raining again. I saw the sun when I woke up the first time, but it was gone by the time I rolled out of bed.  I’m sure there is some adage to cover late risers and the rain, but I didn’t really mind it. I treated myself to lunch at Jerry’s. My relationship with Jerry’s goes back to high school. It was one of the few places open after Labor Day. It served mostly pizza and burgers in those days and Jerry’s was the hot spot after football and basketball games. The parking lot was always filled. Jerry would yell out the window and tell us to buy something or leave. Jerry was Greek so he was sometimes difficult to understand. The Saturday Night Live cheeseburger, cheeseburger skit always reminded me of Jerry’s.

My bird feeders were the places to be this morning. I had wondered where the goldfinches had gone, but they were back today. Two or three at a time were at the thistle feeder. The chickadees too were around and munching from the sunflower seed feeders. I saw nuthatches and titmice. The big feeder was swaying, but I couldn’t see why until I saw the bird’s tail. It was a bluejay.

When I went to Agway for cat and dog food, I bought more sunflower seeds and another thistle feeder. Now the birds won’t have to wait in line.

Henry woke me up at 8:30. I knew he wanted to go out. When I got out of bed, I ran downstairs without slippers and without wearing my sweatshirt. I was cold. The house was cold. It was only 63˚. I turned on the heat and went back to bed hoping it would still be warm. It was. I fell back to sleep cozy under my comforter. Henry joined me at some time, and we both slept until 10:30. I had been up late or early I ever know which. It was three when I went to bed.

I am going nowhere today. I won’t even get dressed. I need to fill the bird feeders and water the inside plants. The laundry is still in the hall. Every day I say I’ll do the laundry, and every day I don’t.

The sun keeps coming and going. Clouds take its place. They seem to be winning. More rain is coming tomorrow.

My Red Sox got trounced last night.

When I was a kid, I never cared much about the weather, but there were a few exceptions. I never wanted rain on Halloween. It would have ruined everything. I wanted it to snow on Christmas Eve, the most magical of all nights. I wanted to look out the picture window and watch the snow fall under the streetlight in front of my house. July 4th needed to be sunny but not hot. As for the rest of the holidays, I didn’t care. The weather made no difference in the celebrations.

Most of my childhood toys were simple. I loved my slinky and used to watch it go downstairs. It was metal which created a problem if one of the loops got bent. I had a Ginny doll. She had clothes and furniture. She and I played together often. I’d dress and redress her. When I was done playing, I’d put her in pajamas and put her to bed. The bed was wooden and was pink. I even had a wardrobe for her clothes. I think Ginny was the last doll I ever played with. I still have an old Ginny doll. I even have a Slinky.

The clouds and dampness seem to have entrenched themselves. The sun did appear for a bit yesterday but I think it was a tease. The cold weather starts today and tonight will be in the 40’s. I’m wearing my sweat shirt and flannels.

When I was a kid, I wore flannel pajamas and slipper socks. I loved those slippers. They were warm, and if I dragged my feet, they made noise. I got a new pair every Christmas. I still have a pair.

I stopped wearing pajamas a long time ago. I wear a t-shirt and cotton around the house pants in summer and a t-shirt and flannels in winter. I add a sweatshirt on really cold days. Today I’m wearing my Red Sox sweatshirt in honor of the day. The first game in the ALCS is tonight at Fenway. My allegiance to the hometown team is never in question.

Maddie’s head is always wet. Henry is forever licking her and nibbling on her ears. The cat doesn’t mind. She stands there or weaves in and out of Henry’s legs.

Yesterday I went through all the stuff I’ve already bought for Christmas. I put the gifts in individual bags and made a list. I was surprised by how much I have for some and how little for others. Everyone gets a new ornament, and I have almost none of those. The grand nephews and niece get new toothbrushes, a tradition started when their parents were young, and I have none of those either. I also need to hit the bookstore for Christmas books. I shop all year so many of the gifts are fun, even different. I love finding the unexpected.

It has started raining. Henry just came inside, and he is wet, but he dries quickly.

The weekend will be quiet. I don’t even have a dance card. I do have two cans of pumpkin and a bunch of recipes for pumpkin. I haven’t baked in a while so it’s time. My baking pans are outside in a waterproof box. I ran out of cabinet space. I call that box my pantry.

I’m hankering for Thai food.

The deluge arrived yesterday in the early afternoon. The weatherman said the cape would get the most rain. We had 3.5 inches by then, but I think the rain stopped earlier than expected. Henry went out around 1:30 ( that would be AM), and the rain had stopped by then. It was damp but still warm, in the low 60’s, and it will be the same today, another rainy day.

When I was a kid, the walk to school wasn’t far: down the hill then across Washington Street to Pomeworth Street which led right to the front of the school. It was downhill in the morning then uphill in the afternoon. I loved Pomeworth Street. I got to cross the railroad tracks, and from then on the street was mostly straight with a wide sidewalk. Big, old houses bordered the sidewalk on one side. Trees lined both sides of the walk. They formed a canopy. I loved those trees in the fall with their bright colors, and I loved them in the spring when the first leaves appeared.

When I went to high school, I walked in the opposite direction and was by myself. The friend I walked to school with from the first grade to the eighth grade went to the local high school. I didn’t. To get to my school I had to catch a bus at 7:05 so I left my house around 6:45. The bus had a few people but was mostly filled with lots of us going to the same school two towns away. The bus driver must have wondered how he got stuck with a school bus.

It is dump day. I always think of Gracie and how much she loved going to the dump. She’d see the bags of trash, and she’d circle through the dining room, into the hall and then into the living room where she’d wait impatiently by the door. Henry hasn’t done a dump run. I’m trying to get him not to mind the leash. It is here on the couch, and he’s slowly getting used to it though he still jumps away if I move it too close to him. The leash is first then the car. I also still have a halter for him. It is slow going but it is going.

When I woke up, it seemed early. The morning air had a sense about it I could feel through the open window. I checked the clock. It was 8:45, not so early for some but early for me. Henry and I got up and went downstairs, and the routine began. First, clean up the cat’s puppy pads then let Henry out to the backyard. Feeding Henry and Maddie is next. Both stay in the kitchen impatiently waiting for breakfast. Henry turns circles. Maddie meows over and over. I tend to them then finally I make coffee and go outside for the papers. They settle down for morning naps, and I read my papers.

Today it’s 70˚ but feels cooler because of the dampness, because of the wind and the clouds. Rain is predicted for this afternoon.

Yesterday I did errands. I made five stops and felt accomplished. When I got home, I did a few odd chores which did not include the laundry. It is still by the cellar door. The pile gets bigger every day because I add more laundry.

I had toast with my coffee this morning. It was spread with grape jelly made by my friend Peg. I tend to be a bit stingy with the jelly so it will last longer.

I used to turn on the news each morning. Now I watch something mindless, something needing little attention from me as I read the papers and write Coffee.

My sandals are back out of the closet. It has been quite warm the last few days. I’ve also put the flannel shirts away and replaced them with short sleeve shirts. It is a bit of summer in October.

Every morning I find stuffing from my down comforter on the floor. It falls out of Henry’s chewed holes. I used to restuff then sew the holes closed, but I’ve given up doing that. The comforter is so old that everything is clumped and even sneakers in the dryer don’t help. It’s time for a new comforter with a duvet cover so Henry won’t have anything to chew.

Henry is barking at the front door so I’m going to check for intruders. I never find any so his barking is usually a mystery, but I still check anyway. There’s always that one time.

What a surprise! Today is again cloudy and damp. The breeze is a strong one so the streets and yards will be littered with fallen leaves. It is a warm day.

This morning I had a library board meeting. It was a quick one so I got home when the coffee was still hot. On the way into the house, I noticed a small red something in my garden. I investigated carefully. It is a mushroom, the first red mushroom I’ve ever seen in the garden.

On the way to my meeting, I rubbernecked a bit. Many houses have pumpkins on their front steps. Some are decorated for Halloween. The house down the street has a giant web across its picture window. A spider, the stuff of arachnophobia, is climbing the web.

I like to think of myself as an intrepid traveler. I don’t do tours except for city tours to orient myself. The longest trip I’ve taken was the eight weeks I spent going from Venezuela to Rio. This trip was pre-computer. I bought travel guides and planned everything. Even now I am amazed that my two years of college Spanish was enough. In any language I’ve studied, I always hear more than I speak which has always worked well. I remember in Caracas going to the ticket depot, a huge building filled with kiosks representing the different bus companies. I wandered until I found the kiosk selling tickets to my next destination, Mérida at the foot of the Andes. We got the tickets and found the bus on which we were the only foreigners, the only English speakers. The Venezuelans sort of adopted us even to ordering our lunch at a mid-day stop. We had mountain trout, and it was delicious. I knew then we’d be okay.

Morocco was my first solo trip. This time I used my computer to plan my visit. I figured my high school French would be enough. It was. I had an amazing time.

I took two trips to Ghana by myself, but it was easy. It was like going home after a long time away.

This morning I got three books at the library. I’m happy.