And now we are back to our regular days.

The kids left yesterday afternoon, and Chuck immediately collapsed into exhaustion. Nonstop kitten fun is so tiring, but he sure did enjoy himself. He dozed much of the afternoon, slept hard all night, and now he is groggily eating his breakfast and wondering where his friends went.

It was an excellent visit for all of us, though like Chuck I am a little groggy from it. Unfortunately, I need to snap out of my grog because I've got a lot of things to do: prep for Monson, prep for January's online class, work on my editing project, deal with groceries and housework.

This week will be screwy. The furnace is supposed to be installed, but we don't know on which days yet. There's a big snowstorm coming in tomorrow, meaning that I most likely won't be driving north but will instead have to zoom with the kids on Wednesday. If I'm teaching at home or up north and those are furnace installation days, T will have to take a day off from work to manage the cat situation. . . . In short, the week ahead is a busy unformed mess.

However, we do have an oven, and it has been a big help in keeping the house warmer. Last night for dinner I roasted a squash and mashed it with garlic and olive oil; I baked bluefish en papillote (with shaved red onion and a bit of leftover stuffing) and made a kale salad--classic winter fare, and so delightfully oveny. Today, amid my myriad other obligations, I'll simmer turkey stock and probably bake bread. I've got so much reading to do and, ugh, so much Christmas shopping. 

No tree for us this year, and probably very few ornaments, as young Charles is a Menace. Christmas with a kitten is always an adventure in disaster.