As long as I can remember, the first appearance of pumpkins in the grocery stores in the fall, always makes me giddy.  They herald my favorite season and you just can’t look at a pumpkin and be unhappy.

In better times, before my 401 K became a 201K, I would buy dozens of pumpkins and place them on my porch and in my yard.  This year they were were so expensive I only bought two.

TWO PUMPKINS. I felt like the old woman who lived in the shoe. I figured I could buy two tubes of toothpaste and a weeks worth of catfood  for the price of one pumpkin. My stray cat, Smirk, needs to eat, and I do need to keep my teeth, since I paid all that money for braces. An old woman with braces is pretty pathetic… but hopeful, don’t you think?

Tonight, I had to run over to the Jiggly Wiggly to pick up a pound of coffee. I was stunned to find that the pumpkins which cost  $3.99 yesterday are 99 cents today.  What happened? What changed? What did I miss?

I loaded my cart with pumpkins, and raced to the check out counter.

The heck with toothpaste.  I can use baking powder. And Smirk, can eat tuna.  My favorite season has finally begun.