We just learned that my brother-in-law was exposed to Covid on Saturday, so we are waiting to hear the results of his test. Fingers crossed, he’s okay.
On a more minor note, we’d been planning to have Thanksgiving dinner at their place.
All this by way of saying, I just got back from the grocery store. Rather than get a small bird for $32, I bought a hefty breast for under ten. When I got home, husband immediately lamented the absence of dark meat. True enough, and there will be no glorious leftovers for sandwiches or fettuccine but hey, I’m the cook around here and I went for simplicity.
After reading a restaurant review over at Donald McKenzie’s blog, diningwithdonald, I got a hankering for roasted cauliflower with a tahini sauce, so I bought the ingredients for some version of that as well. I’ll report back.
Mostly though today I am mildly obsessing about commas. My friend recommended the book, Eats, Shoots & Leaves for assistance. Thank you, Dan Preston! I’ve just started it and it is hilarious. Who knew?
I am more than halfway through my novel’s professionally-provided edits and I can’t tell you how many changes concern hyphens, commas, and dashes. It’s a little embarrassing but also eye-opening.
In other news, a Tarot deck arrived, one that I ordered so long ago I’d forgotten about it. The American Renaissance Tarot. Can’t wait to explore.
Also, a friend gave me an old jacket made of silk kimono scraps. I’m currently saying NO to most offers of this kind but made an exception for this. Thank you, Sue!
Lastly, a quilt I made K years back has needed repair. Some of the thinner cottons disintegrated. Appliqué is the way to go here.
as one does;-)…..(referring to post title)
covid sure is a party-pooper, after a riot-filled weekend over here in the Netherlands and covid numbers rising rapidly we are moving towards ever stricter measures and maybe even the dreaded L-down; that book looks like a lot of fun and I fear I need the advice, although I’m not sure my critter Dwellers would agree as they don’t care one iota (ha!) oh well we will see……
cauliflower and tahini, huh who would have thought that would taste any good
looking forward to YOUR book!
lovely kimono, loving the wear & tear of the quilt
Hi Saskia. Our numbers are rising too even in places like Massachusetts with a very high vaccination rate. I hadn’t heard about the riots?
And as far as I’m concerned, your critters can do whatever the fuck they want. That’s how charming they are. Love the book showcased over on Instagram!
This scrap kimono – what a wonderful gift!
Yes it was! Unexpected.
I was seven when Kennedy was shot. What I remember is that my classmate Melinda Throne started to cry and had to be taken out of the room. I thought that was odd because she didn’t know the president. On other subjects – I excel at commas. But usually have to look up hyphens and dashes when doing the bits of editing I do. Never was officially a proofreader, but did a lot of it in my work life. And now occasionally for friends. I tend to forget the extra comma so not strictly an Oxford advocate. And we’re vegan, so no breast for us. And hopefully, no covid! Best wishes for your brother’s recovery and no spreading. Numbers are high in Maine too even though vaccination rate is also high.
I have done a fair amount of editing too, which is part of why my ignorance is pulling me up short.
Sending hope that your brother in law will be ok: Here in New Mexico, we were so prideful of the fact that we had early stringent measures, that many were vaccinated and now, our numbers average over a thousand cases a day, deaths in the double digits and most of the hospitals in the state are in crisis care. Thankfully we both got our boosters so can sort of breathe a little easier…
Only 2 of us for Thanksgiving so of course, I got a 16 lb bird…why??? well because R loves Turkey so he will have his fill of turkey as in hot and cold sandwiches, turkey shepherds pie, turkey tetrazini, turkey chili and so on…me, I would be happy with garlic mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing, no turkey.
AND again, why such a large bird, well because our grocery store, a Kroeger store (Smith’s) put the $1.59 per lb no hormones, no injected bird on sale for $. 59 Cents a lb if you spent $25…plus we got a $15 discount if we spent over $100 as well…how could I resis!
May you enjoy your day of thanks and giving Dee and maybe go out and buy a turkey drumstick for K!
We got our boosters as well. My brother in law, too, so we’re still hoping we’ll be able to gather. I felt a sense of pride about Massachusetts this past summer, too. And wow, it’s just not over.
Your list of leftover dishes makes me want to get on a plane and invite myself over for dinner!
You got a great deal on your Turkey! And thanks for the drumstick idea. If we end up staying home, I’ll still have a chance to run out one more time.
She made a children’s book version of that book (and a couple of others along the same line) that I loved using when I was teaching. I am comma-challenged. When K proofread my college papers, he would yell, “Comma’s are not an art form!” at me. I hope your brother in law is fine, and your Thanksgiving dinner!
The foreword and intro are so, so funny.
Fingers crossed for your BIL.
I stink at commas too, which is embarrassing because my mom taught English and I feel like I “should know”. But, for the kind of writing I’m doing these days, mostly blog, I don’t really care if I am not correct…I just label it ‘artistic license’ and write on. Work writing, I’m more careful and accept any corrections the computer wants to give me! lol
My mom had that book. After she passed, my sister and I went through many of her books, typed up a list and emailed her friends. One by one, they stopped by to pick up a book that had belonged to their beloved friend, Marge. My Godmother took this one (so I have never read it, but my mom loved it and spoke of it a lot). I always thought that was such a legacy thing for my mom, and that we come from ‘book people’ and my mom who was the finest example of how to be and keep friends.
Yay for more than half way with your book!!
The old jacket looks lovely…and can’t wait to see the ‘mending’. The last pic, the bottom right, the brown square, with the striped fabric below it…looks like the beginnings of a beast 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours dear Dee. I am grateful to have you in my life.
I love hearing about your mother and her vibrant legacy. What a beautiful celebration of an English teacher’s life — to give away books with particularity. I recently read about book therapy. That’s where a well read person recommends books to people with a view toward healing. Also read about an MFA student who claimed the most important thing her advisor did was recommend poets for her to read — just the right style, approach, etc.
I commented three times over on your blog this week. It did not ask me to clear my cache (when I do that, BTW, I have to re-sign in to google on two devices and two computers). I really wish I could figure out what’s going on.
Now that you mention it, I see the beast!
Yes, an English Teacher, Children’s Bookseller, Book Lover and great friend!
I think that part about the ‘right’ poet (or author for that matter) is so important.
I’m sorry you have so much trouble with my blog comments and I thank you for trying and for wishing to comment in the first place. Please don’t stress about it though. xo
What a year.
Covid is here to stay in one way or another.
Commas, forget it. I cant read, write, spell, you name it.
December will be for mending, like it mostly usually is, seems the worn out has taken over.
What a year, indeed. Two really. “Seems the worn out has taken over” would be a really good way to describe my mood of late. Today I’m cheered by the fact that I’m making two pies — one pumpkin and one pecan. It’s the little things!
Pie can mend many things.
I vaguely recall reading Eats, Shoots and Leaves ages ago (the librarian in me is thinking about whether or not to leave the half-painted over comma in the catalog record or not) … I guess it’s obvious that I have an ellipsis problem so I should probably read it again, but style manuals in general go in one eye and out the other (so to speak) … except Maira Kalman’s take on Strunk and White’s Elements of Style … such eye candy
speaking of which, those silk kimono scraps are amazing … and the quilt looks like a labor of love waiting to happen
Thanksgiving turkey dinners are the hardest of all menus to pull together, in my opinion. (I am newly self-conscious about my commas.) I don’t blame you at all for buying a breast. This is our second year in a row with no Thanksgiving at all, but Christmas promises to be a crowd scene, for a change. Your new tarot cards are quite beautiful; they make me more interested in tarot.
Happy Thanksgiving Dee.
OMG Dana! How are you? I was just thinking about you the other day. Happy thanksgiving to you as well. We won’t have much going on at Christmas here. We’re planning to have a ski vacation in the Rockies with the boys as something different and also to make travel easier for them.
I missed your February postings. So sorry about that. It sounds like it’s been such a difficult time. I am wishing for your continued recovery. And will make sure I sign up so that I’ll see your posts immediately.
I meant I missed your recent post of this past weekend.
As I mentioned on Nancy’s blog, for some reason (because I know covid is here to stay) the news of another variant was hard to hear. Hope your brother-in-law feels better soon. On a lighter note, you’ve added another book to my wish list. I will confess…I love punctuation.
this new variant is potentially terrible. I feel some dread about it. Everyone tested negative so we were able to celebrate together, which was nice.