Laughter and the love of friends

"From quiet homes and first beginning,

Out to the undiscovered ends,

There's nothing worth the wear of winning,

But laughter and the love of friends."

'Dedicatory Ode', Hilaire Belloc

That's a good summary of the day.  I was up at 3 a.m., my much-abused back locking up and refusing to let me sleep on.  Barkley was overjoyed to have company at so small an hour, and insisted on being taken for a walk to do his business;  then he observed me as I worked on my book manuscript for a couple of hours, until my back decided it had punished me enough and let me get a couple more hours sleep.

Miss D., Brigid and I were all up and about again in time to visit a couple of the local specialist emporia - Penzeys for spices, Artisanos for oils and Good Earth for hippie bits and pieces natural foods.  We met Tamara and Roberta for lunch at Brugge Brasserie, which was extremely tasty.  The sight of Miss D. wading (almost literally) through a 2-pound cauldron of steamed mussels was . . . impressive!

Supper tonight, courtesy of Brigid's wonderful cooking skills, was pork loin with salad and biscuits, accompanied by one of the meads Miss D. and I bought on the way here.  (I had thought - silly me! - that the three one-liter bottles of assorted meads would be 'safe' until we got them home.  We're already making plans to refill them on the way out of Indianapolis tomorrow . . . )

Tomorrow morning the five of us (from lunch today) will meet at Eagle Creek for some trigger time, then have a late brunch before Miss D. and I get under way for home.  It's been an all too short visit, but a whole lot of fun.  We'll definitely have to come back soon!

More tomorrow night after I get home.  Meanwhile, y'all enjoy yourselves.

Peter