In September, October, November and December, our Saturdays revolve around this:

It’s a family tradition, after all.  Even on our wedding day, when we’d made it all the way to a motel in Massachusetts (we had no idea where we were going, Vermont or New Hampshire or Montreal), Banjo Man watched part of the game.

Part of the game.  Ahem.

Every Saturday includes a trip to the dump (Banjo Man), grocery shopping for all the weekly sales at 4 different stores (Banjo Man) and watching college football games while eating salty, greasy, yummy snacks (me and Banjo Man).  I sometimes sew or cook or bake or help Banjo Man find stuff to take to the dump.  Mostly I sit around in my sweat pants (that my friend Bachelor Steve used to wear duck hunting until he lost weight and gave them to me) with Wheat Thins and the remote control, and I putter in the kitchen.  I love Saturdays.

Today I set my alarm clock and was all gussied up (mascara! cowboy boots! clean jeans!)and out the door by 7:30 to head all the way to Foster, RI (1 hour, 10 minutes according to mapquest) to buy a wedding gift for Jeff and Angela which I can’t tell you about because sometimes they read this blog and I don’t want to spoil the fun of opening the box.  But I brought my camera and took pictures of a craftsman who loves his work, which I’ll share with you another time because I think you’d appreciate his talent.

Here’s a hint.

Then I drove north (I may have approached dangerously close to the Connecticut border) to deliver a box of dog bandana fabric to my friend Judy, who runs an animal rescue group called Little Paws 4 You.

Which is how I ended up fostering and then adopting this sweet old gal, my one-eyed Pekingese.  We miss her.  It’s very odd not having dogs in the house.

I had to be in Exeter by 10, because my friend Ruth was picking up her new sewing machine this morning and I wanted to jump up and down in the parking lot with her.  She’s been shopping for just the right machine for a couple of years now and we’d looked at a lot of machines at quite a few quilt shows and stores, but last week we found a used Janome 11000–it sews and embroiders– at a great price and it was love at first sight as far as Ruth was concerned.

Can  you tell?

Next week we’re doing a marathon sewing day to make Christmas tree skirts.  We have the pattern, the template, the fabric, 2 ironing boards, 2 irons, the kitchen island and two machines.  It’s gonna be wild (Dancing Mandolin Player, do you remember those days???!!!)

Banjo Man will go to the dump, then will plant himself in the middle of the sewing chaos to watch Nebraska play football.  And you know what?  He won’t even notice there’s anyone else in the room.