Headcold-Pajama-Soup-Book-Movie Day

  It's been weeks since we heard the sound of rain on the skylight in the kitchen -- for any length of time -- and today the weather forecasters are using words like "downpour", "gully-washer" and "drenching". Our region has been experiencing a drought, and, because we're dependent on well-water here, we've been a little careful about spacing showers, laundry, dishwashing, etc. I don't even bother washing the car, because one trip down the long, gravel driveway is all it takes to cake it with dust again, which, it appears, gives my "friends" (you know who you are) a chance to do this:

Oh, hearty-har-har. It is to laugh.

  I have a headcold, which is lovely. Really. Just enough stuffiness and headache and cough to relieve any guilt I might otherwise feel about spending the day in my flannel pajamas, curled in a corner of the couch with the new book that came in the mail on Monday. Since I spent the weekend making soups, I have a fortifying Green Soup as well as a warming, golden Butternut Squash and Pear Soup. Since I bought a flat of pears at Sam's, and we all know how fast pears "go off", as Mark says, I made a double batch of the latter, in order to use up more pears. As I made the soup, I thought that I would share some and pictured myself taking lovely, golden soup to friends -- until I tasted it. It was so good that I put the extra away in the freezer, so, if you want some, you have to visit me. And maybe, you know, bring me a present. Or a fresh box of tissues.

(Because my poor head is stuffy, I will forgo the cream and grate some fresh ginger into my soup, sprinkle some nutmeg on top, thin it with some cider. More cream for you!)