Pumpkin Festival

We remembered to go to the Pumpkin Festival today! First time in a couple years, I think. And it was a lovely day for it. Massive pumpkins, some entertaining booths (Ed and I really liked the goat milk soap stand -- you wouldn't believe how nice some of those soaps smelled!), and we got there before the crowds were there in force.  I wish we'd made it to the Duck and Turtle Regatta, but I didn't know there was such a thing before I looked the festival up in order to give you a link! Maybe next year!

The library book sale. Katie found a copy of Eight Cousins, and Ed bought me a copy of The Life of Thomas Moore (it was way down my Amazon list, but it was on there!). I hoped to find some Agatha Christies or a Michael Chabon, but no such luck.

And the bookstore has moved! Of course, we only shop there on the rare occasion when someone wins a gift certificate, but it is still fun to look around. They are really more of a gift shop, I think. Anyway, I love the new building, and the combination of wine shop and book shop is brilliant (there is even a section of tables upstairs for wine drinking and reading!).

One last look at the pumpkins.... (aren't they huge?)

After lunch I took Katie to the organizational/sign-up meeting for Girl Scouts. We haven't done Scouts before. Partly because we didn't know where to find them, and partly because I hesitated to get involved in anything requiring selling stuff. And I have a horrible feeling that I was fully justified in my fear. Not only are there Cookies, which I knew about, but there were quite a few mentions of "Product," which the girls are also required to sell. I told Katie that we would cross that bridge when we reached it (sounds so wise, eh?), but actually I am already worrying about it.

Anyway, aside from the selling thing, the people seem pleasant. No girls Katie's age, though. One in 10th grade, and a couple in 6th. And then quite a few younger girls. And, of course, most of them already know each other/do church & dance together/are related. What you'd expect around here, really. But there were several activities discussed which do sound like fun, and Katie wants to give it a chance. So we will. At least it should help improve my "Mom Score Card" rating. Recently Katie has pointed out that my "mom of a pre-teen girl" skills are sadly deficient. I don't like to shop, I don't fuss with hair and make-up, and I don't like to talk about "girl stuff" (don't ask). I've pointed out that I actually have gone in for all these things, quite thoroughly, in fact, but that she missed that window by twenty years or so. She says this is unhelpful.