I picked up vegetables at the Brien Center and stopped in to the Remedy Hall vendor event. Most of the social services seemed to be around addiction recovery. Evidently Berkshire County has a high death rate from overdoses. Housing was mentioned as a major problem.

While in North Adams I did a shop at Walmart for things I’d forgotten yesterday, like peanut butter, apples and smoked paprika.

This morning Ron and I loaded the lawnmower on the truck. The mechanic at Aubuchon got it running again but the yard was so wet that Ron was hesitant to try to mow it. It was cloudy and even sunny for a while but rained again tonight. I know this because Ron and Jett were out in it at least once. I played fetch with Jett once.

Couldn’t tell you what else either of us did.

Confirmed Ron’s appointment with Dr. Bevins’ office. Asked Delta Dental for an estimate of reimbursement for Ron’s implant on the 28th.

Tracking Number: EP202610150145 

Dr. Bevins will send a letter when it’s time to make an appointment for Dr. Budz to do the crown.

Email from the Registry reminding me to get the Corolla inspected, was due end of August. Got it done at K-M. Amazing we were never stopped, especially at construction zones.

Ron picked up the lawn mower yesterday and did the front yard. Today it didn’t start. Heartbreak.

We went to BMC for my echo, also yesterday. Ron took us to lunch afterwards at Thrive. Loved it!

Report from BMC said that I have a slow heart rate (bradycardia) but didn’t provide details.

Rounded off yesterday with a writing group meeting at the Milne. Nice group.

After getting the Corolla inspected, picked up meds for both of us and did a shop at Walmart.

Changed sheets, Ron did laundry.

I made baked sweet potatoes and a big salad for lunch.

Sanded and painted the bathroom window sill.

Defied Ron, put up the Jane Hudson painting.

Jett didn’t eat his breakfast until late. He chewed on a bag yesterday; bad stomach this morning?

Did a light vacuum of the living room.

Enjoying “Seven Years in Tibet.”

Rainy Sunday. Not a good foliage-viewing day.

Finally replaced the bad curtain rod in the bedroom.

Jett and Ron did errands and have been in and out in spite of the rain.

Applied for both low- and middle-income heating assistance programs.

Packed the gouges in the downstairs bathroom window with MinWax wood filler.

Ordered an inexpensive but attractive frame from Walmart with free delivery for the Jane Hudson painting. The driver dropped it off a little before seven. I put the piece together; placement tomorrow.

Finally watched “Call the Midwife” and enjoyed it.

After one more low heat session with water and baking soda, cleaned the last bits of stuck rice from the Dutch oven.

Found the cord for Ron’s electric shaver; recharged it.

Canceled the Diamond subscription and the latest order from Harbor Freight.

Jett and I drove to Adams for Jaeschke’s Jonagold apples. Thought about driving to the top of Greylock. Hahaha. Tried to find another spot that sounded like a farm but it’s on a short but crowded street in the middle of North Adams.

Jaeschke’s to Goodrich Street routed us East Street to Church, thus avoiding Curran Highway, the scene of a major accident that happened around the time we were out.

Ron worked on his “little room” while we were gone.

Jonagolds won’t be ready until mid-month. Can order them online or might find them in grocery stores.

Congratulated the neighbors on their addition-in-progress.

After doing some yardwork, we drove to Richmond and Hilltop Orchards.

Big disappointment.

Even though it was Friday, it was the start of the long Columbus Day aka Indigenous Peoples weekend.

So the place was crowded and no fire in the lodge.

We picked up some necessities at Dollar General and spent the rest of the day at home.

Did laundry.

We dropped off the Corolla at Flamingo Motors at 9 this morning for its 20k maintenance. It was done around 3. I made an appointment for them to check out the truck. Like that shop.

In the meantime we had lunch – soup, salad, sandwich, cookie – at Berkshire Food Project, then visited the Art of Resistance exhibit at Gallery 51 on Main Street in North Adams.

Later the three of us drove to Pownal for so-so cheddar cheese and two boxes of excellent cookies.

Ron and Jett did a long walk up the hill. I was lazy and did nothing else except start my essay for the writers group “Funny Thing About Adoption”.

Learned that our next door neighbor is expecting. Wishing good health to mother and baby, another boy.

Barely made it to the Pantry this morning. Was doing something or other earlier.

Vacuumed the stairs.

Cleaned up most of the ferns and the bean plants on the deck.

We are off to the first meeting of the new monthly writers group at the library. I will propose a funny book about adoption.

Ron broke down and brought the lawn mower to Aubuchon for servicing.

Finished hanging artwork and photos in the office/guest room.

Picked up passes for the Clark at at the library and went with Ron this afternoon to see the Griffa exhibition “Paths in the Forest”. Particularly like his interpretation of Ginsberg’s “Kaddish”.

Also enjoyed the new and fabulous “The Exquisite Eye” collection which is to be housed in its own building. On the way out we were delighted with the clever caricature portrait sculptures of famous people from the 1830’s including Liszt, Johann Strauss, and Paganini.

Took Ron to lunch afterwards at the Spring Street Market so we could see works by local artists. Filled up at Cumby after reloading their app. Returned the passes to the library.

Ron did laundry, we changed the sheets. I made a big pot of sage and cinnamon soup to be embellished tomorrow.

Gave Jett his Sentinel med.

Watched the North Adams Foliage Parade on TV. Got photos of Ben and Butch in the N/A Youth Football group. Watched Buffalo lose to the Patriots in a close, well-played back and forth game featuring spectacular passes, an astonishing one-handed touchdown from “undersized” Efton Chism III and a flawless last minute interception by Craig Woodson.

Soup for lunch, stir fry for supper: veg burgers with an Aldi frozen quinoa mix.

I think about food all the time, what to cook, what to eat, how to avoid buying it either cooked or uncooked, grocery store or restaurant.