Last night was cold. This morning is still cold. A strong wind is blowing the dead leaves to the ground. The sky is the deepest blue. The sunlight is sharp, but the lower parts of the trees in the backyard are in shadows. The sun doesn’t quite shine so brightly there. The day is a delight but best seen through the windows of a warm and cozy house.

My cleaning lady came yesterday. She loves Nala, thinks she’s a hoot. While I wasn’t paying attention, Nala stole a variety of items from my bedroom and took them outside. I saved a few but most were in pieces in the yard. She follows Maria and tries to play with the vacuum. Henry barks at first but then ignores her. The house is wonderfully clean, free of dust, tumbleweeds and dog prints. She was here about four hours.

I finished my book last night, State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Perry. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Eric Dunn, the president of the previous administration, is Trump not even well disguised. The main character, Ellen Adams, is the Secretary of State. Those are the only teasers I’ll offer.

When I was a kid, I always wrote a letter to Santa. One year we got a telegram from Santa telling us to be good as Christmas was coming. It was a real telegram. I knew it was really Santa who sent it. I still have it in a scrapbook I kept when I was young. When my sister’s boys were little, I sent them a report card. On it was a list of all the good things they needed to do and be before Christmas. If they behaved, a gold star was placed next to the good thing they did, but if they were bad, a black star was placed on the spot. The report card was to be left under the tree for Santa to see on Christmas Eve. My oldest nephew, Ryan, would beg and cry and ask for a second chance to keep those black stars at bay. The report card worked. My sister loved it.

My Thanksgiving dinner is ordered. It will be delivered in the morning of the big day. I’m going to start with shrimp cocktail and dates filled with goat cheese and wrapped in bacon. The rest of the meal is traditional with all the fixin’s. Apple crisp is dessert. Last year I had enough for two meals. I loved the leftovers.