Big doings here Chez Nous. But first, a beagle update. The plumber came this morning to replace a leaky outdoor spigot. He worked outside, but came into the house to greet us and get instructions. A STRANGER IN THE HOUSE. GK is not happy. Here’s our little turtle with his worried eyebrows hiding out under Bunny’s desk.

And now for the big news. Among the many things we bought in 2007 was a new big bed to replace the fifteen year old mushy foam mattress. We love the new bed. In the summertime, when keeping warm is not at a premium, we bought new big sheets but not new blankets. Sheets that fit are a priority. Blankets and a bedspread that go all the way to the floor are not.

But now it’s getting cold, and the three male members of the household are bed-hogging cover hogs. Bunny’s ass was getting cold every night. So Bunny bought upgraded bedcovers: a cotton thermal blanket, a snuggly wool blanket, a big puffy down comforter, and (really important) a pretty comforter cover that is machine washable so the dogs can get doggy all over it without ruining the comforter. And some more pillows and pillow cases. Bunny’s upgraded bed is now her biggest pleasure in life except for beagles. So comfy in there. The Boys love it. GK loves it so much that yesterday, for the first time ever in the 20 months we’ve had him, he jumped up on the bed under his own beagle power. What a big brave boy!

How does this square with the Economy Plan? It doesn’t. However, Bunny spent the whole weekend in a mall and did not buy any stinky stuff. None. That’s right. In a mall with Macy’s, Nordstrom, Crabtree & Evelyn, L’Occitaine, Sephora, two Aveda stores, Trade Secret, Bath & Body Works, The Body Shop, and something else I’m forgetting, Bunny came home with precisely the following:

1. Tinted lip balm that I thought was a lipstick
2. Lip gloss to replace the one that is running out
3. One scented candle for the hotel room (I can’t remember if this counts as stinky stuff or not but it was for the hotel room because I hate hotel smells)
4. One bottle of eye makeup remover to replace the horrid bottle of really oily stuff that made my eyes all goopy and was completely unacceptable
5. One bottle of perfume to replace the one that is almost gone
   

No trips to the bookstore or any of the kitchen stores. No CDs or DVDs. No shoes. No pajamas. No handbags or wallets. No new jewelry, even though I lost an earring and could have bought a replacement pair with no guilt. No collection of eye pencils. There was no yarn store, so I can’t say what would have happened if there had been a yarn store, but I think I did pretty well, all things considered.

I’m really making some progress on my cabinet full of face potions and my obscure pantry items and my Things in the Freezer That Must Be Gotten Rid of. I even opened that bottle of tomato juice well before its expiration date and am in the process of drinking it before it goes bad.