Rochelle is in her "gown tail" as we used to say in Arkansas, covered in her sleeping blanket from Camp Green Meadows (inside out). They do have beds but like the living room when there's no school. Now we're alternating, one night in living room, one night in their bunks.

I took Rochelle shopping with me yesterday. We found a full sheet set for her bed in purple that she preferred to the one just like her sister's. Funny how it just slipped my mind that they have different size beds. Their bunk is full size on bottom, twin on top. I had really wanted one that was built like that with a trundle underneath but by the time I got around to looking for one, I couldn't find them anywhere. Now that they're older, it doesn't matter. Elcie has her own room, sort of. She sleeps there, the computer (#2) is on her desk, and she has a hideaway on her "hate the whole world days". The three don't seem to do too well in the same room for any period of time.

I'm sitting here looking out at a dreary sky, empty branches that were full of fall color just a few weeks ago, rain dripping from everything, and trying to plan my day.

I must go to the store. I managed to run out of ground coffee. I switched over to decaf a couple of years ago but I still want my morning fix even though it's only in my head.

Rochelle and I started at the supermarket yesterday. We picked up two boneless chuck roasts, clam broth, bought them out of "sale" hamburger (I'll go back for more) and a couple of miscellaneous things (oh, the Martinelli's Sparkling Cider and plastic fluted champagne glasses). This is the most expensive of our stores, very high end for Merced. However, they sell yesterday's ground beef the next day at a huge discount. There is nothing wrong with it. Other stores do as well of course but Raley's is the best.

Then on to Target for the sheet set, laundry and dish soap, and a few more odds and ends. I wasn't out of nearly as much this month. Sometimes I fill the entire van by the time I buy all the cleaning products, paper goods, medical supplies, and toiletries.

I'm giving Target a shot although I'm not convinced they do much better by their employees than the dreaded Walmart. We'll see. Sometimes reality (fixed retirement income and the small amount we receive for the girls) sets in and back to Walmart I go, at least for non food stuff. I've tried Costco a couple of times. Problem is, I can beat their prices for what I buy much of the time by shopping sales and stocking up. It isn't worth the membership cost just for the few things like their paper products where I would save. Smart and Final is free membership but again, not competitive and I do keep checking back.

How did I get started on that? Anyhow, on to the "used" bread store. Rainbow Bread would hate to hear me call it that but we've called the day old bread store that for as long as I can remember. They aren't the bargain paradise they once were but they are still good. We ended up loaded down with 12 Grain, cinnamon raisin, and half a dozen packages of English muffins. I can have my muffin with marmelade this morning. Oh, and some Moon Pies on sale for 10¢ each.

I took Rebecca along to Jim's house last night and played cards for a couple of hours. Melissa and I were ahead until the final hand and the boys got lucky. Bummer. We play Samba usually, a fancy version of Canasta with more cards and using runs as well as sets. Good partnership game. Sometime pinochle which Jim and I really like and Melissa and Tim tolerate although Melissa has become quite skilled. We taught her cribbage and pinochle. Her education simply wasn't complete until then.

Today back out after coffee and possibly a treat for our New Year's Eve to go with the sparkling cider. I'd like to find the tiny loaves of rye bread and make little sandwiches. "Used" bread had them one year practically as a giveaway but if I can't get them there, they're like buying platinum; especially for this crowd of vultures. Children eat like birds, a peck at a time. We'll probably settle for chips and dip and maybe a small veggie platter. Depends on what I find when I drag myself out of here. I procrastinated yesterday. Raley's was too high and I didn't feel like trucking through a 4th store.

I'm starting over with another picture. This is getting too long.