The Velveteen Rabbit.

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room.  "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"
"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse.   "It's a thing that happens to you.  When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real"
"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
"Sometimes" said the Skin Horse for he was always truthful.   "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt"......Generally by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and get loose in the joints and very shabby.  But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

Last evening Jane and I were entertained and feed the most delicious meal ever, at the Dancing River Sprite's feast.    As i've mentioned many times before, George and Cora-Lee put on these absolutely amazing Feasts, once a month, in their very eccentric and beautiful home!

I can't describe all that the 6 courses entailed....one of the highlights was the roasted quail which was absolutely stunning....(see extra); the other 5 courses were totally outstanding and so inventive....a bowl of curried lentils with a tomato/quince sauce on top....out of this world!

They put on a such an amazing event, and they will host another 3 feasts before the end of the weekend.

The Velveteen Rabbit was one of the books my twin daughters loved...and i read it so often i could almost say the words along with Cora-Lee....and of course i could never get thro the book without tearing up when i read it to my girls....and yeah, it happened again last night!  Boy those memories are powerful!

The other extra is of George sitting down at the table with us describing what we just ate....part of the fun of these events is the menu with it's cryptic clues as to the ingredients.  Everyone around the table discusses what they think they are tasting!  It's a lot of fun!