"All hail the duties and possibilities of the coming twelve months!" - Edward Payson Powell

We are staying in tonight and eating fondue and playing board games with a few good friends. If you're in Portland and would like to stop by on your way to your more exciting party, feel free to drop by after 7pm. We would love to see you.

Alright - which one of you was nice to me???

So, last night I get home after 10pm, after working both jobs, and Josh says "there's a package for you".

"Oh good," I think, "its the last of the late Christmas presents...."

But it isn't. No, not exactly.

Its a package from England. Inside is a book.

This book.



Cooking and Dining in Medieval England by the totally fabulous Peter Brears. An amazing book.

The odd part is - I have no idea who sent it. There's no card. No buyer's info. Just the invoice from the seller in the UK and that's it.

So, I'm once again humbled by the generosity of my friends. Thank you, whomever sent this. Its an astonishing gift.

A few links

Vintage Vespa Images

Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts from the Koninklijke Bibliotheek and the Museum Meermanno-Westreenianum

Typos in the US Constitution

Christmas Every Day an instructive tale by William Dean Howells