Twas the night before booklaunch and all through the house... was the scent of honey cake

I'm sneaking in late at night (very late, for we're about to lose an hour due to daylight savings) for the awesome and amazing KJ Bishop has been troubleshooting for me. Other friends are troubleshooting elsewhere. The results are that the book launch now has much specialness despite interesting things going wrong today. How interesting? Wait and see, for I won't know until tomorrow. My amazing and awesome publisher is also troubleshooting, you see. Loads of troubleshooting! The bottom line is that the launch is going to be seriously cool no matter what. It has honey cake and it has bookplates, for one thing. And a reading. Mustn't forget teh reading, since I'm the one who will be doing that bit.

I'm had a quiet day and I needed it. I might have to schedule a few more quiet days from time to time. I was complaining tonight that I was tired, but I was gently reminded that I worked 18 hours a day before I left for Europe, travelled for five weeks, and haven't stopped working since I got back (until today - quiet days are magical and rare).

Dinner was lovely. We dipped apple in honey and ate chicken soup, and butternut pumpkin/apple soup, and two types of roast chicken legs (one with Finnish spicing and one with lemon), and green chickpeas in salsa, and mashed potatoes, and the sauerkraut Milena taught me in Zagreb, and roast potato, and green salad, and grated heritage carrots marinated in lemon and orange and ginger. Dessert was my grandmother's honey cake plus 8 different types of chocolate, pfeffernusse and a kir made of Aussie sparkling chardonnay with cloudberry liqueur. Everyone's dietary limitations were respected and we all overate and each dish was for me a reminder of people I love and it was all eaten in the company of other people I love. It was probably the best breaking-of-fast ever. I might have to do this again...