In good company

Off to the Berkshires--not for skiing or leaf peeping but just to visit with good friends. I'm taking along the latest books of Chuck Hogan and Hank Phillipi Ryan, both good writers who will thrill and amuse.

The smoked trout is history and I have to whip up another batch to schlep along with the apricot bars, the cheese and the wine and even the granola that someone left behind at today's party.

Thisbe is in front of the computer, reminding me that Friday was cat blog day and beaucoup Fridays have passed without one mention of her sterling qualities. She sits on the front porch for a few minutes every morning in the frigid air with her fur fluffed up, then retreats to the friendly confines of the house, an inspired decision this morning when the gutter cleaners came along with a big black dog. I'm sure the dog was friendly, but you know, dogs and cats and all that. The foot of the bed at night with a cozy mohair blanket warmed by the electric blanket is all that a cat could want. So--this should make up for a bunch of cat blog days.

Christmas is well underway at our house, with shopping begun, cards almost done, house decorated, tree in garage, and thoughts of which cookies to bake in my head, pleasant thoughts, all. The birds have plenty of seed and suet, and the Christmas cacti have finally come to life. Each one has a story, of sentiment or neglect, and I like that. I like plants with history. Sid, from the dump 24 years ago, others, each with a tale. Remember when talking to your plants was the latest thing? Well, I still do. They are living things, after all.

Until Tuesday, then, and if you haven't visited my new spanking web site, done by moi with nothing but HTML and a little imagination, please visit www.judycopek.com.

Wait! Shouldn't it be www.grapeshot.com? Nope, that's the blog name, not the pen name. How many names can one have? As many as one's cat? Ask T.S. Eliot. Ask Thisbe.

Enough of this nattering.

Grapeshot