Great class, a treat, RB&R

This morning's Canning Class at Twins Ace Hardware was terrific. Thank you to everyone who came out- it was wonderful to see some familiar faces and to meet new folks too. One attendee, who I've met three times now I believe, was at my cranberry sauce class last fall and let me know that she's already made her first batch for her family this year. They love it! I was so thrilled to think about Nanny's memory being passed around and shared in this way. Thanks also to Twins for hosting another great event. I had a ball and love my new apron; thanks, guys!!!

Since getting home, I've been working on a batch of red beans and rice, dosing more medicine to Ol (poor guy is still sick; strep test negative; ugh!) and happily spying my husband for the first time in days. We've been ships in the night lately, and I miss him. Date night tonight!

Did y'all read Gail Collins' Op-Ed in today's NYT? This paragraph is priceless. Priceless!!! I read it hours ago, and I still dissolve into giggles each time I scan it anew.

Incredible compliment, quiet evening

Today I received one of the loveliest compliments ever, from a dear friend of 19 years who is herself a writer; indeed, she's a two-time published author. Regarding yesterday's posts, she wrote: "Em, you have the most wonderful gift for making the ordinary sublime.  (And the sublime even more so.)  Today's writing simply sings."

People, I cannot tell you how much this observation and resultant appreciation mean to me! A truly sublime compliment, to be sure. Thank you, D!

I feel infinitely more relaxed now, having had several quiet hours alone. The house is tidier, the cheesecake and now-frosted chocolate cakes are in the deep freeze (chocolate ganache freezes beautifully) as are twelve pounds of  vacuum-sealed fresh salmon. I'm packed for my class, the dishwasher is humming, Nutmeg appears to have passed out next to his favorite hanging toy, Percy is snoring (literally), and I'm satiated after a beautiful, big salad of -not a spoiler!- kale, plus radicchio, avocado, tomato, apple, goat cheese and homemade croutons with my beloved garlicked-oil, lemon, and salt dressing. Perfetta! Bene, bene. Vado a letto. Buona notte!

The sound of a deep exhale, and feeling lucky for some

How to accurately describe the sound made when you exhale in a deeply satisfying way? It's audible, to be sure; at least mine are. At the least there's the whoosh of air bidding the body adieu. Sometimes it's almost slightly horsey, like an equine's exhalatory snort though through the mouth rather than nostrils. In any case, a good exhale is one of life's simplest pleasures, and I have just experienced several. I was up many times last night , in part because of Ol's persistent beast of a fever which meant, wait for it, that he did not return to school today as I'd hoped. I felt full-scale lunatic this morning, don't remember driving Jack to school and only vaguely recall getting myself (and Ol) to the dermatologist. There I realized I'd never had breakfast, had a huge grocery list to wade through and a call to make at 10:30.

Oliver watched more TV today than I'd hoped/planned for.

Why on earth, you might be wondering, has she exhaled at all? Well, because my mother-in-law picked Ol up at 2:45, took him with her to get Jack and is now at baseball practice with them. As Tom is still out of town and I have to teach in Virginia in the morning, the boys are spending the night at Camp Grandparents tonight, and I am infinitely grateful and enormously relieved. I am so behind in all aspects of my life, and this afternoon intend to catch up in a few small ways.

It's gorgeous outside, and our sugar maple has started its annual speed-of-light transition from green to fluorescent yellow leaves; by tomorrow the full canopy will be a brilliant sunburst and by early next week, we'll have bags upon bags of leaves to rake up. Oliver and I raked the whole yard yesterday but you can't tell now; the leafy carpet is way too dense for even a blade of grass to peek through.

After a large party I'm catering a week from tomorrow and the one order I've taken for Thanksgiving, Em-i-lis Catering will be going on holiday via one-way ticket. The break will be welcome and good. Off to pull a pumpkin cheesecake out of the oven. It smells to the nines in here.