GRAVETTE — We’ve had a week of warm, sunny weather, a welcome change after our unusually wet summer. Jim made good progress on his roofing jobs and I was able to do a little cleanup in the yard. We’re still adjusting to the early arrival of nightfall. This month’s issue of “Better Homes and Gardens” reminds gardeners that it’s not too late to plant those fall bulbs you ordered. It’s important to get them into the ground before the soil freezes. Dig a planting hole about three times the height of the bulb and water them after planting.

We started the week with a farewell party at the library Monday to honor our departing library manager. Friends picked up the cake, ice cream and punch and I received a call to drop by the store for a bag of ice on my way to the celebration. Despite shuffling the date a couple of times our guest was unable to attend but we enjoyed the refreshments and signed a card to send home with her gift.

I worked at the newspaper office Tuesday morning and when I finished my job there dropped by the home where Jim was winding up a roofing job. Then I drove to Aunt Leta’s home where friends from Tulsa soon arrived to pick up a three-drawer chest and some glassware Leta was giving her. We had a shortvisit while they wrapped glasses, decanters, figurines, a vase, a paperweight and an ashtray. They soon left for home, Leta and her caregiver went out for lunch and I drove home to cook some pasta in mushroom alfredo sauce.

I stayed around home on Wednesday and accomplished some tasks I’d been putting off. I scrubbed the dingy bathtub and later the kitchen sink, pulled up the last of the tomato cages and threw the withered plants on our pile to burn. In between these chores I sat down to read and read some magazine articles. In midafternoon I prepared a dish of chicken breasts, rice and mixed vegetables to put in the oven whenJim came home from work. We watched the final game of the World Series that evening.

My editor and I drove to Springdale Thursday morning for a meeting with our new employers. We were treated to a lunch of pizza and salad before returning home. I arrived just in time to keep an appointment with Aunt Leta and her attorney. That evening Jim requested a breakfast menu so I fried bacon and eggs while he manned another skillet and fried potatoes with onions.

A blustery wind was blowing on Friday so I went home and ran the vacuum after I completed my chores at the office. Sister Nancy soon arrived bringing two dozen eggs, coffee and some snacks to satisfy Jim’s sweet tooth. The mail carrier brought a welcome letter from a friend atMaysville. We drove to Lion Stadium for the Lions’ last regular season game and chose our supper from the concession stand that evening.

We met the kids and grandkids to have our portrait made after breakfast Saturday morning, then grandson A. J. accompanied us to the home of a friend to do some repair work on his porch. Jim’s helper invited us to join him for a tasty lunch of chicken and dumplings and we stayed on to watch the second half of the Razorback game. Later I attended the holiday open house at Marvin’s and picked up deli chicken, coleslaw and potato salad for our supper. We watched the OU - Nebraska game that evening.

We attended a meeting in Southwest City Sunday morning, made a trip to Decatur and visited a friend in early afternoon. A cousin in Texas called for a visit shortly after our return and when we finished our conversation I baked half a ham, cooked some mac and cheese and sliced tomatoes for our supper. We watched the Sunday Evening Football game that evening.

Opinion, Pages 6 on 11/11/2009