Thanks to everyone for all the kinds words on Friday. I am still waiting to hear back on the insurance situation and the lawyers will let us know this week on the legal matter and I've sent off another round of emails to do with my book AND I scheduled my very first event here in my small western Washington town with my local indy and they are very excited and I shall be spending the next couple of weeks getting lots of photos onto, what I hope, is a most satisfying power pointish presentation.

I am again, attempting to take the long view as counseled by Jenny D in Friday's comments. You were all so wonderful to comment and email me and really, I can't thank you enough.

Today, as it happens, is my birthday! Huzzah! So to bring myself out of my mini depression I layered many strands of white and silver beads over the chandelier last night and put the white lace tablecloth onto the table and bought two bunches of white flowers for the center and a small pot of purple mums for the only color. (Winter wonderland is the theme.) (My family is, and always has been, very big on birthdays.) My husband has been baking various cakes for hours. He tells there is a plan for how all of them will come together. I have no idea what the ultimate goal is (other than, "yum - cake!") but he's pretty focused. So between the beads, lace, flowers and cake I think my day shall be a good one.

Plus there are presents. Many wonderful looking presents!

Over the weekend I starting reading a book that I picked up more out of curiosity than anything else. Written by Susan Cooper (yes, that Susan Cooper), The Magic Maker is a short biography of singer John Langstaff and the Revels he organized twice a year for the past several decades in Cambridge (and other areas where they spun off to). (Langstaff has passed away but if you follow the link you will see the Revels most certainly continue.)

It was published by Candlewick, likely because Cooper is a legendary children's book author but it's really a book suited more for teens and adults who have an interest in American musical history in general and the life of one interesting musical man in particular. As written by Cooper, his longtime friend and collaborator, Langstaff was truly a gem. From a childhood surrounded by a musical family to battlefields in the Pacific during WWII (he nearly died there) to a career that was always on the edge of greatness and then - most wonderfully - culminated with him carving out his very own patch of greatness. It's a book to make you feel good, one that reminds you there are original people out there doing original things and making other people happy and that - spreading happiness - is really one of the best things anyone can do.

Talk about the best book in the world for me right now.

I don't know what kind of audience The Magic Maker is going to find but I will do my best by formally reviewing it (not sure where or when yet) and certainly writing about it more indepth here once I've turned the last page. But I wanted to give you all a heads-up for something I've found that shouldn't be overlooked. Sometimes the universe sends you just what you need when you need it; glad I was smart enough not to turn away.

Plus here is Florence and the Machine with "What the Water Gave Me". Listen all the way through to the end - also quite magical.