~ Every morning begins with a cuppa, made by my brother.
~ A great solution for a small bathroom, isn’t it?
~ A new friend of ours–we met him Sunday–
has opened up a thriving cafe in Oakland called Remedy Coffee.
It has wifi, but if you are on a laptop,
you must sit at the communal table.
Small tables are reserved for
traditional cafe activities, e.g. talking and drinking coffee.
He installed an old phone.
If you want to talk on your cell phone,
you must go into the phone booth. 
~ How could I have made it through a lifespan
without Bach’s B Minor Mass?
Katie asked Dan to explain the fugue.
After a short music lesson, he put it on.
Beauty beyond words.
Beyond words.
~ I recently decided that I want to devote a wall
in my kitchen to my brother’s photography.
I swear I had the idea before I saw his living room!
~ An absolutely delicious outing to Penzey’s Spices.
What a fun store!
*This* much fun!
~ One of Curt’s college roommates came over.
We ate. We talked. We listened to this.
In the old days the discussion afterwards would’ve
gone on past midnight.
But, alas, we have aged.
~ Here is the best side dish in the world:
Coyote Corn
2 T butter
2-3 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
3-4 sun-dried tomatoes, soaked, drained, chopped
3 T finely chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup chopped green onions, including tops
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat butter in skillet, add corn and tomatoes until warmed through.
Place in serving bowl; add basil and onions.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Today more visits.
Tomorrow: Wendell Berry.
A Living Pencil 
Penzey’s!!! I only know of them through mail order and think they have the most flavorful spices. Makes for good gifts
Later on….. perhaps you can share some of your brother’s comments about the B Minor Mass.
Can you share a link to the B Minor Mass? I don’t think I’m finding the right one. :)Wendy
Love the titles for your posts! Can do now with a cup of that coffee… DH also a camera – fundi, holic, lover…bought him a book one year with the inscription that the results must hang on the wall…it was quite a few years ago…Wendell Berry- please share!
Carol , as a granny I was thinking that one day you might have additional great fun taking Gavin along, or any of your other wunderkinds of course… But after reading this post, I am sure that it is a grown up treat, to be savored as a grown up, that children would have a hard time appreciating!
I am covetous – like hardcore, seriously, truly covetous – of your time with Di and Wendell today. Can’t wait to hear all about it! You trip already sounds like…. well, perfection. I shall look forward to days and weeks like that when my peeps have flown the nest. :)HugsStephie
Sounds like wonderful times and wonderful memories are in the works! Enjoy even more! What are the thoughts on the B minor Mass? It is a gorgeous piece.
@hiddenart – @Wendy – @applechexx – I plan to ask Dan (who is in rehearsal at the moment) to write a guest post on the B Minor Mass. Dan says it is his favorite piece of music. The B Minor Mass is a non-commissioned piece – in other words, Bach wrote it for himself, not for the payment or request of a benefactor. Stay tuned!
Thanks for the honor of bestowing me w/ some Penzeys! I look forward to using them, esp. the garlic powder–on a hot loaf of sourdough French bread maybe?! YUM!
@wonderloveandpraise – Steph, I was on the phone with Di this morning and we both agreed that it isn’t quite right without you. Next year in Jerusalem, my friend. Next year. I want to come to Baraboo and worship with you, I do. Listen to Scott’s sermon and take walks and watch Ezra smile and play catch with the older boys. I have a dream week where I come to your house and learn the piano from you while the older kids are in school. And we cook together and talk about every subject under the sun. Next year in Jerusalem.
Carol,We are down to 7 people and one computer so I am late getting around to reading this but what did you think of the debate you listened to? I am wondering if I should carve out time to listen to the whole thing. My mother likes to debate the end times with me and I usually try to avoid that but maybe she would like to watch the debate. She is a pre-trib dispensationalist. So the rambling question is: is the debate worth 2 hours?Thanks, Cindy
@Cindy – First off, we haven’t gotten to the second hour yet!! Secondly, it was a round table discussion that felt more like friends getting together and talking than a debate. Piper spends considerable time in the beginning nailing down the essentials with which all the participants agreed. The great thing about this evening is the cordiality among the participants. They all laughed quite a bit and there wasn’t a sense of having to prove their position was right. More like clarifying the differences. Everyone is relaxed and jolly. Piper is very respectful; but he certainly didn’t need to be a referee in the section I heard.On another topic, I couldn’t stand it and got Leisure by the other Pieper. I read sections to my husband and we both agreed that the book must go into our collective reading piles. I miss your book club and the discussions on your blog. I keep reminding myself that working full time is a temporary season in my life (the mortgage is diminishing) and there will be more time for these in the future.
Such a little statement: Tomorrow: Wendell Berry.Little did I know it would be warm hugs, a table surrounded with new friends, deep-dish-to-die-for pizza, rollicking laughter, a waxing moon rising over the glowing City Hall, squeezing into the stuffy balcony and being transported by a Kentucky gentleman’s cadence and humor and humility, book signings, pressed cider from Katie, moth chasing chubby cats, and ending the night with the most beautiful voice singing to us. Wow. It was a slice of heaven.And now I am rambling around my house, wondering about community and food and purpose and intentional living. And wondering how in the world we can see each other more often. Your sparkling, sentimental eyes will be stickin’ with me for a long time, dear friend.John and I are heading to the city next week, and I intend to surprise him with Remedy Coffee as we go through Oakland. He will be so pleased.Happy travels to you and Curt and Katie. But shouldn’t she be Catie since she is “yours”? Thanks again…for everything.DI