Thank goodness, the "baby" is down for his nap

Wow, I had forgotten just how much work a baby is.  Roadie--the last of the foster pups we have from the rescues--has just about taxed all my energy today. :)  He is finally napping at my feet here at the computer, after my pulling the comforter out of his mouth several times.  Since he has eaten through two nylon leashes in the nano second in which I turn my back, he has graduated to a chain leash--left over from the days of either Sam or Rex, I can't remember which one.  I think I may have to spend the rest of the night here and just have Rando bring dinner in through the bedroom window...I think it is best to let sleeping dogs lie.  :)

Today was a beautiful fall day in Mississippi, crisp, cool, and somewhat windy.  The Dean had her annual faculty meeting just before the end of the semester, which consists of lunch in Lenoir Hall, and is well worth the effort to make the faculty meeting.  Lenoir Hall is where the campus' restaurant for the Family and Consumer Sciences hospitality program is housed.  It is a classy restaurant, with our own Chef Kelvin.  Today's menu was roasted pork loin with spice apples or chorizo stuffed chicken breast, and sides of macaroni and cheese (the real kind, with bread crumbs and baked) and stuffing--which was a wonderful sage, onion, egg, bread stuffing, with some spices I did not recognize.  It did remind me of my spinach-shitake bread pudding, though, so reminded me I might want to make that for my own mini-Thanksgiving dinner.  Since Rando will be in Texas then, I will be here with just my (currently) 5 dogs, cat, and one son.

I was a bit disappointed in the sweet potato pie, but have likely been spoiled by their earlier sweet potato bread pudding, which is out of this world. Although, I must say, my own chocolate bread pudding and dulce de leche bread pudding have won their own rave reviews among my friends.

I worked a bit more on a manuscript this afternoon after returning home.  It is due back to the journal in January, but I am trying to finish it early so I can start on the next research project. It should be ready to go by Thursday.

After all afternoon at the computer, I went out late and picked up firewood, lit a fire in the chimenea, and enjoyed the late afternoon sunshine and a glass of wine.  It was so pretty, with the sun setting through the trees, making the gold of the leaves shimmer with color.  Once it got dark, the cold set in quickly though and the warmth of the chimenea was not nearly enough to keep me out there.  This time of year, I just let it burn down early!  Lucky for me, I have my flying monkey sweatshirt hoodie from the Philly trip and it was helping me stay warm!