Steve is away on business for the rest of the week, so I have been adjusting to the quiet of an empty house, the chill of a lonely bed, and the responsibility of stoking the fire. It’s weird not having Steve around, but I don’t mind being alone when I know that he’ll be home again soon. This fall has been a busy one, and I haven’t had much time to myself, so it’s kind of a treat to curl up by the blazing wood stove with Rolo and a good book and just have cheese and crackers for dinner.

I obssessively-compulsively checked all of the locks in the house before I crawled into bed for the night, and I forced Rolo to sleep next to me, even though he wanted to be free from my smothering arms and just go sleep on his doggy chesterfield. “STAY, Rolo! Mama needs your love.”

Steve gets home tomorrow, and I look forward to his return. He will be arriving mere moments before the Halloween party begins. I have left his Woody costume folded in the spare room in the basement and I told him that he has to sneak in quietly and get into his outfit, because how lame is it to show up at a Halloween party at your own house not wearing your costume?! Very.