Yaktrax literally saved my ass in Moldova. I went through two pairs.

Oh, and did I tell you that Atomic Books Nashville finally opened?? And it's right next door to one of our favorite restaurants. We went in on Saturday and it looks great! I'm psyched to have a good bookstore in our neighborhood.

I heard! So exciting!!!

Drew, I'm very sorry for your loss.

A friend pulled a huge six foot tall by five foot wide bookcase (not really for books, though because the shelves are unsupported in the middle) out of her dad's garage, where he had been storing paint cans and rusty tools on the shelves. She cleaned it up--it's solid walnut, and at least a hundred years old. It's in her living room now, with tasteful bibelots and family photographs displayed.

I sold a raft of old Fire King and Pyrex dishes of Mom's, my aunt's and my grandmother's on ebay. Mom had the nesting tulip pyrex bowls--they brought in well over $100, and the single large jadeite mixing bowl went for $70. My MiL's pink pyrex covered dishes would be worth a lot, but she's still using them, frequently.

It's kind of amazing what people will pay for stuff, says the woman who ponied up retail for Steiff and artist teddy bears.

I still use my mom's old Pyrex casserole bowls, but I doubt they are worth much of anything. Far more desirable to me for their use and memory values.

I have some of my grandmother's corning ware casseroles, which I can't imagine are valuable - I think they still sell the same design. In any case, I have them because I use them. Although I have somewhat accidentally acquired some newer casserole dishes just by working where I do.

I did get rid of Grandma's glass quart measuring cup when it broke. It wasn't pyrex, I don't know what it was - I liked the look of its shape but it didn't pour well so I didn't even try to glue it back together. This is something of a triumph for me.

OK, that's the last of my cold & flu medicine, so I will surely be completely well tomorrow. It's a foolproof plan.

Our weather front must have just moved through, because my head went from normal human head to EVERYTHING HURTS INCLUDING ALL MY TEETH in the span of 10 minutes. Not cool, head and/or weather. Not cool.

It's rough being a human barometer. This is not the superpower I wanted.

I love my old Pyrex. And Corelle. I dropped a Corelle bowl on a concrete floor yesterday and it didn't even chip.

I love the Pyrex mixing bowls msbelle sent me. They're simple and beautiful and indestructible.

I had some purple Depression glass a while back, and I loved them, too.

Apparently, Pyrex is crap now