Scratch

There's a sort of Murphy's Law at work around here when it comes to possessions. The dining room table and chairs that took seven years for me to commit to? The day it was delivered, one of the offspring held a portable cd player several feet above the tabletop before letting it drop to put a notable dent in the wood surface. Yesterday, the new living room furniture arrived, and it held true to our pattern. Bad Bella was startled and dug in her hind claws as she took off from the chaise. There are a couple of holes screaming in mute testimony to Bella's flight marring the otherwise pristine leather. The mister and I have each repeatedly touched the spot, but there's really not anything to do about it. Bad cat.
In other news, ShelleyinPoland is in Pleasant Suburb. Tonight she will join us for a family dinner that was supposed to be manicotti from scratch using yesterday's spaghetti sauce. Then the calendar on my started binging away about back-to-back dentist appointments in the space between after school carpool (I don't know why I call it that when I am the only driver. No matter how many kids, one driver is not a carpool.) and the dinner hour. So. The sauce is in the fridge. The manicotti tubes are in the pantry. I am headed to the market for chicken and sausage to slow cook with barbecue sauce and the makings for corn casserole. That will leave a salad that can be prepared ahead, the casserole and protein that can cook while I run around all afternoon, and rolls to be popped in the oven just before dinner. Having checked off the dinner menu, it's going to be a lovely day of anticipating the excellent company.