January 31

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We got wild and crazy on the 31st, and delivered a small load of donations to the Kiwanis thrift shop.  It's always good to get unwanted stuff out of the house.  "Better out than in!"


We stopped at the farmers' market for apples and cider.  Kapnick's Braeburn apples have been (and continue to be) really good this season, and we always like their cider.

Elevenses at Zingerman's Next Door.  This is a Toni's Come Undone (scroll down, if you click through).  This is sourdough bread, with hunks of realllllly good chocolate.  My better half likes to warm this up.  Microwaves are throughtfully provided (as are toasters) -- if you like your Toni's with the chocolate melted, or you prefer your bagel toasted to your precise specification, you can get just what you want.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm............................

Here is one of Zingerman's obliging employees, taking a pic of a brunching foursome. 

My pic included the entire scene, but I felt (even after I worked at obscuring identities) that the people he was photographing were too recognizable for me to want to post them to the web. 

This is the part of the pic I liked the best, anyway, so here it is.

I am really liking Photoshop Elements' cut-out filter for pics of people when their identities are not the point.  I like the level of abstraction.  I like all the color in this image (and the way the colors are repeated and distributed), and I like that you can really tell what's what, despite that abstraction.  I like the reflection of the window seen behind the man, with its wavy lines.  Pretty happy with this, overall!



After savoring our Toni's, we continued our Saturday errands.  I think this was the third visit the two of us (collectively)  made to the library in seven days....  (Hooray for libraries!!!)

My better half discovered this ginormous graphic novel.  He is not a small person.  This is a REALLY big book!

A REALLY big book, jammed full of detailed illustration! 

I wonder how many years it took to do all the drawing?

As we were photographing the above, I happened to glance out the window.  Snow, and plants that like wet feet, and interesting shadows.

The newest books are near the entry door to the library.  Look what I found on one of the shelves near the new books!

I remember that they did this "surprise book" thing last year at about this time.  I think it is a brilliant and fun idea, and decided to support them by checking something out, even though I already had four or five books to take home. 

(The check-out thingie reminds me of Toothless the dragon from the movie How to Train your Dragon, and I love the graphics on the library's informational materials!)

As you see, there are clues on the plain brown wrapper as to what might be inside your surprise.... 

When we got home, I took off the brown paper...........

Doesn't this look like fun?  I am curious to see what is inside................

What a good idea -- surprise books (and movies)............  :-)  I love my library.......................

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