Before I Forget

Marye @ Kettle and Cup is celebrating the fact that she has signed a contract to do a cookbook with a giveaway. How exciting is that?! I met Marye via La Tea Dah's Gracious Hospital-i-tea Blogathon. The button for which lives on my side bar and will take you to a site named "The Tea Ladies." Marye is one of them.

You can read more about Marye's news right *here.* Perhaps you'll join us in getting the word out. We don't have much longer...August 1 is the deadline.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We didn't go "touring" after all. The man was tired; I was tired. We stayed home and cleaned, gardened, did a few errands, shuffled furniture about, dragged an end table to my son's, and in the evening went for ice cream followed by a walk in the cemetery. We've been doing a lot of walking in the cemetery because it's so quiet and peaceful without all the traffic. We're usually the only ones there...well, of the vertical variety.

Then comes my favorite time of day when we each read a chapter of a book aloud. Our current one is One Man's Meat by E.B. White. It is a collection of essays written between 1938 and 1943. The common theme is concern about WWII. Each essay mentions the European conflict in some way, and it is easy to tell that the entire issue is churning away at White's insides despite his attempt to push down his anxiety with busy work on his salt-water farm in Maine — keeping chickens warm, getting rid of volumes of eggs, keeping machines in working order, biding time. He writes:

Countries are ransacked, valleys drenched with blood. Though it seems untimely I still publish my belief in the egg, the contents of the egg, the warm coal, and the necessity for pursuing whatever fire delights you.

Currently, E.B. White delights me and I think I've just found him another fan.

Now, before I forget, I must get my awards list ready; it's long overdue! Guess I'll work on that later today.

Have a great Wednesday, All. :D