Today I bought a tea kettle, a bright shiny silver thing that would look good on the Tinman. I really enjoy "tea time," though probably not as the English would do it. I got some very good Swedish cheese that takes almost like caramel, some great English crackers (these thick wheaty things) and thin, crisp Swedish ginger cookies. Now that we have a proper kettle again, I can finally enjoy my tea.

I ate at Augie's dinner and had some of the greasiest eggs I've ever eaten. They fry everything in butter, which is surprisingly nauseating. Augie's was packed today with Sunday people, that is people going to breakfast after Sunday services. I'm mildly surprised by people who still get dressed up and go to a church. I saw this little boy, not more than 7, with a suitcoat and tie. This is a usual Sunday occurance for him, to put on a coat and tie and sit through an hour or more of a very adult activity. This seems so foreign to me now, even though I had done much of the same for the first 14 or 15 years of my life.

Why do people have "Sunday best" anyway? Does God really care what anyone wears to services? Does God really care if we worship it at all? I don't think so. I think religion is for people, to comfort and guide them in their lives, not for God. That doesn't mean religion is bad necessarily, just that it is what it is.

I'm putting off cleaning up around here, though this place really needs it. The dust bunnies have mated with the dog's shed fur and have made giant dog-dustbunny hybrids that defy the vaccuum cleaner. I can write my name in the dust on the mantle. And did I mention that our Christmas/Hanukkah decorations are still out? I can't find a box large enough around here to fit them all.

Right now, Andy is writing a bid on a condominium. This is something I've been avoiding thinking about. Partly, I'm worried about money. Mostly, I just don't want to get my hopes up about getting it. I'm worried about how our lives will change if or when he does buy a condo, whether it is this one or a different place. I really like the idea of having a "house of our own," but I worry that the cost (in money and emotions) will be too high.