Beautiful leaves billow in the breeze and fall to the ground. Extra blankets have been added to the bed. And now, the battle is on.

In 27 years of marriage, I can honestly say that Mr. Gorgeous and I have had very few fights. Okay, we’ve disagreed about things, but we don’t fight very often. We share the same values and believe the same way, so when we struggle about something, those values and beliefs bring us together rather than pull us apart. There is one thing, however, about which we fight.

This fight is frustrating because it’s done in silence.

This silent battle is carried on in the midst of the night, in the darkness — in the cold. The winner is determined by the one who starts the season in the most determined fashion. For the winter of 2013-2014, I plan to be the winner. I started last year’s season off badly and never recovered.

This battle is for the blankets.

Yes, I know, it’s silly. But when you throw in the 10 pound, four legs and a tail that sleeps between us, controlling the blankets — and who has them is very important. You see, we turn the heat down at night. It’s energy efficient, it saves money, and it helps us to sleep better. The challenge with this fact is that we have two windows in our bedroom and the room is poorly insulated. As a result, there are some mornings when I fear that meat hanging in the room would NOT be in danger of spoiling.

The key, I’ve discovered, to winning the battle of the blankets is to hold on to the blankets all night long. John holds onto the sheet — this allows me to tug, pull, and “steal” the blankets to keep me warm. There are definitely times when I feel guilty, but then I stick my nose out from under the covers, shiver, and think….”oh well.” Actually, if Yoda didn’t hog 1/2 of the bed (he takes his half from the middle, by the way), we would both be able to have blankets and stay warm. But, as long as he’s laying on the bed, I’m going to keep holding on to those blankets and keep winning the battle; I don’t like waking up cold!