Book Lovers and What's for Dinner???

I was listening to my favorite Christian music station on the way home from working at my church this afternoon. Joy FM. Love it. The DJ said (perhaps quoting someone - don't know who) that "you can tell a true book lover, not by how many books she/he has read or owns, but by how many books she/he has re-read.


I am, by that definition a BOOK LOVER. I have always loved to read and re-read books. I was given my first book, Heidi, when I was 6. I remember asking my mom where Frankfurt is - Heidi was traveling to Frankfurt to see her friend Clara. Mom said it's in Kentucky. I set the book aside for a year or so. I was having a huge problem understanding how Heidi got to Frankfort, Kentucky from the Alps. On foot and by train. I was bright enough to know there was a large ocean to cross. I was also having a problem with the vast number of words I had not encountered in my school reader Dick and Jane. I think the whole series of Dick and Jane books had a total of 7 words in them. Run, Dick run. See Spot run. Jane, go get a dictionary and see if we can't get a sprinkling of adjectives and adverbs in here. Watch out for that handyman, Zeke. He is one scary dude. He has an outstanding warrant. If you see him, run, Jane, run. Run run run.

Anyway, back to Heidi. When I felt I was ready I picked the book up again, started from the beginning and my love for books began.

The books I have read many times include The Shell Seekers by Rosemunde Pilcher, Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert Macey, Somerset Maugham's short stories - one of my favorites is "Before the Party", also his book The Painted Veil. My anthology of Eudora Welty's books and short stories is another of my often read books - my favorite is " Why I Live at the P.O." I have a tape recording of Eudora Welty reading several of her short stories. It is delightful! It was recorded in the 50's. She reads very fast and with a wonderful Southern accent.

My list of re-read books goes on and on, but those listed are the first that come to mind, and you will find all of them next to my bed looking a bit tattered and worn. I'll bet there are lots of book lovers out there. What's your favorite?

Another question for you: Do you write out a dinner menu for the week or the month? If so, please send it to me immediately. What happens here is, some time between 3 and 6 PM either the Mister or I ask the age old question, What's for dinner? The other person looks in surprise at the one asking the question. Like they just grew a second head. Dinner? Oh. Yeah. We eat dinner every day. Huh. What should we have?

Somewhere along the line a meal is decided upon. It may require a trip to the store for a missing ingredient or 2 - or 10, and then a meal is prepared. But why is it always such a surprise to find out at 3 PM that we not only eat dinner every day, but actually have to think something up and prepare it for ourselves.

Are we still in denial about having left the homes of our mothers? Is this normal? Do you do this or do you plan ahead?

At least we generally have stuff in the pantry and the freezer that we can add together and make a meal. At least most of the time. Sometimes there aren't any enticing ingredients available unless we are into eating combos like pumpkin and beansprouts or maybe that mince meat I bought 12 years ago along with the Spam left over from last hurricane season. When that happens we go out to eat. That's what restaurants are really for. Are the other people that show up at the restaurant also there because of that sudden shock of realization? Or did they plan on going when they made out their menu for the week and carefully shopped for all of the ingredients. I hate them. Let me know your thoughts on this. Don't be too hard on me. Thanks!