The Gift of a Book

Our rain is gone and though it was chilly this morning it was a marvelous day. I went to church with a friend and watched all the children parade in waving their palms. Then we had lunch, and when I got home about two I found that my neighbor had returned a catalog I'd loaned her and with it left a copy of Calvin Trillin's new book, About Alice. It was a lovely surprise. I hadn't known what I wanted to do this afternoon, so I immediately sat down and read the book--it's only 78 pages, smaller than the usual size, with lots of leading (or space) between the lines--so it's an easy hour, hour and a half read. But as I'd read it's an absolutely charming book--Trillin adored his wife and makes the reader adore her. She was charming, predictable but in an offbeat way, and I think that the line I liked best had to do with children: it was something about if they're the center of your life, that's what it's all about. Amen!
A busy week looms. My "to do" list for tomorrow is full--and then taking the car in, going to the podiatrist, grocery shopping at least twice, a semi-business lunch. Thursday night our church is having its traditional Maundy Thursday supper, only they'll have the foods of a seder and explain the traditions to those gathered. As Fellowship Chair, I responsible, though I have enthusiastic co-chairs--still I have to get shank bones, makes haroseth, and bring macaroons. Then Friday and Saturday I'll cook for Easter--it's not really that much, but I like to get a head start. Easter morning I'll go to mid-morning church and come home to have an egg hunt with my oldest granddaughters, followed by lunch with about nine of us. I thought I'd get a head start tonight and bake the sweet potato biscuits I read about. Total failure--they came out like flat cookies. The recipe called for baking mix, and I looked at the Bisquick I'd used--two years out of date. I tasted one of the flat cookies and decided it wasn't worth the trouble. I'll get Hungry Jack biscuits. I seem to keep learning that out of date lesson over and over again, from medications to cooking supplies. I know half or more of the spices in my cabinet are old and stale and useless.