September: thunderstorms and emergencies. But there is always Reine de Saba.

  What?  It's September?   Apologies, I have been dealing with one emergency after another. I have not had a good nights slumber in weeks, and I look at my bed with longing and exhaustion.  I cut a little bouquet today, made up of lemon verbena and rosemary - and a few sprigs of white phlox, hoping tonight I might finally get a good night's sleep.

First it was the smoke detectors.

1 am, and I wake to a chirp.  Another chirp, a bleat.  Then all three detectors go off, and I stumble to the phone to call the fire department.  A sleepy eyed volunteer fireman checks the house, pushes a button, and heads off into the night.  The next day I buy new batteries for the detectors, and install them.

Three nights later, the same thing.  12 midnight, and I'm entertaining the firemen again, but this time, the fire horn goes off. I hear the chatter on the firemen's beepers, telling them I don't think we really need all 20 firemen here, and  I promise firmly to call the electrician pronto , who arrives late the next day, who tells me I need new smoke detectors.  I grovel and ask him to show me how to disconnect the detectors, since it is clear there is no emergency.  Four nights of blissful rest, until the new detectors are installed.  One restless night, waiting for the blare again, but so far, so good.  Did you know smoke detectors are only good for ten years?  Me neither.  Mine were 9 1/2 years old - so do the smart thing and get some new ones, if only for uninterrupted sleep.

Then last night, rain and thunderstorms for 12 hours straight.  The rumblings turned into thunderclaps, and lightning strikes:  no phone line and no tv,  computer connection off for ten hours.  The rain thunders down in streams and pounds the roof,  the lightning flashes send me down to sit on the basement steps.  The house shakes, the whole world rumbles and flashes.  I finally fall asleep at 3.

But was there food, you ask.  In between all this, there was making Emeril's delicious Muffuletta for my daughter's luncheon with Izzie, and emailing her the icing for the Reine de Saba cake she made for her Dad.  Harvesting the overgrown Italian parsley for everything from smoothies to pesto-ish sauces.  I'm embracing a longing for homemade bread, as the evening is turning chilly, and making turkey meatballs for Frankie tonight.  The chilly air has me thinking about sweets and soups, so finally, I hope, back to normal.

Sweet dreams, I hope:)