And I'm home

I admit, I was leery of going out driving, given all the news recently in my closer and wider circles of bad car wrecks.

But it was okay. Now I feel less nervous about it.(For a while, I wondered if I'd ever willingly go out on the interstate again)

I went *everywhere.* The annoying thing was two of the stores (the bookstore and the Target) were doing big resets where everything was moved around, and stuff was hard to find. Also the bookstore has almost eliminated its craft-books section (and about 30% of what remained was wedding-planning books. And yes, I'm a bitter spinster and even IF a miracle occurred and I found someone I'd want to try to spend the rest of my life with, our wedding would be very simple, just a few witnesses and the minister, and maybe have a potluck reception at a park for friends.)

Target is trying to upscale itself. On the one hand: I approve of that, especially with the cosmetic/toiletries section. On the other hand: it was chaos because apparently today was the day of everything being moved around.

(And I hope they haven't caught the Walmart bug, where they go "Hey, if we move all the sections every six months, we can trap people in the store when they can't find stuff, and maybe they'll buy MORE" which is just awful and dysfunctional and makes someone like me leave in disgust because I have limited time to shop and if I can't find something, I often have to do without)

Also, it was LOUD. I don't know if they had the Muzak up too high or my sensory issues are geting worse, but it was bad. (bad 80s pop, at one point someone was rapping over the melody and I had to jam my fingers in my ears because I was trying to read a label on a can of soup to look for hidden allergens and I couldn't focus). It could be they had it up to cover the noise of stuff being moved around.

I got what I needed, and also they had some RIDICULOUS and tacky Christmas outfits (I know, I know) for Barbies and so I bought a couple because they made me laugh. (Again, Cinnamon - one of my dolls - has questionable taste in clothes and I know EXACTLY which outfit she will wear. One of the outfits was a set of shorty pajamas that might look cute on Gabby, or might even work on the new doll on its way to me.)

Ran and grabbed lunch at the good barbecue place, also they had their version of juiced-up scalloped potatoes (they call them either Campfire or Mississippi Mud depending on who is putting up the sign on a given day). That made me feel better, also the people there are so nice and the food is good.

Ran BACK to JoAnn's (got the magazine I was looking for, and a couple of books, including one on converting morse code to symbolic quilts, which is a really interesting idea). And ran in to Five Below, and found they had an Equestria Girls "Muffin" (AKA "Derpy") figurine, which I had been wanting but was unwilling to pay Amazon third-party seller prices for. I got it for about $4. (And got a Bon Bon, and a Roseluck. I suspect these are being closed out because the show is ending, and also, they've moved to much smaller versions of the dolls, but I like these. I should get a shelf for all of mine.

I also found a lot of funny Halloween cards. I often buy friendship cards there to send to people because they have good ones and they're often reasonable.

The ONLY thing I think I am doing for Halloween this year will be to send out cards. I have a couple people in mind already (I found a funny cat one to send my mom), but if you want one, drop me an e-mail with your address. (I will note a couple of the cards aren't....100% child-friendly or work friendly. Nothing TOO dirty, but "scared sheetless" is the punchline on one, to give you an idea).

If I run out of cards I can ALWAYS get more. I like sending cards out.

I don't think I'm up for dressing up, not up for handing out candy (and I got ONE person last year), and wouldn't be up for going out and doing anything. Halloween was never a big holiday for me anyway but this year....well, with the losses I've had the whole thing seems a bit less appealing, a death-themed holiday.....I will go to church on All Saints' Day and probably cry, but that's different.

I also got stickers, because I like putting stickers on the cards (and occasional packages) I send out.

And yet another one of those silly little fleece blankets*. This one is pink with corgis on it and says "more love" on it, because isn't that something we all need?


(*And then I thought about the story I saw the other day, shaming people with washing machines because fleece releases microplastics. Well, I'd argue that (a) maybe keeping my heat lower in the winter and using blankets helps balance and (b) washing machine manufacturers really need to create a trap for this kind of thing, where the homeowner could take it out and properly dispose of it. And anyway, I wash these blankets when I first buy them but thereafter only if they get dirty, and I tend to be careful with things)

I also got to the natural-foods store, and to the Kroger, so I have food ahead for the next while. I won't need to go to the grocery for a week, and won't need to do "big" shopping for longer, which is a relief.

I also got the feeling, while in the natural foods store, of "hey....I feel like baking bread again." I used to do this a lot and then got away from it; maybe this fall I do it again (maybe doing small batches; it is hard to eat up bread fast enough. But with yeast in a jar, you can add however much you need). I have pretty much what I need (flour, water, yeast, butter, sugar, and eggs, if I do a bigger batch of one of the kinds you put an egg in) unless I did something *very* fancy.

But yeah, it was good to get out, good for my head, good for my pantry.



I also got some yarn to try out for a hat. Didn't think anything of the name until I got home, and then....


wwwwwwaaaait, is some designer at Lion Brand having a larf? (It IS Pumpkin Spice season, after all):