Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince arrives at midnight tomorrow night. I have just completed my re-read of the first five books and thought I’d share my thoughts in anticipation of my weekend readathon. But in deference to anyone who has not caught up on the series yet, I’ll do it on the other side of a jump. (more…)

This week’s three beautiful things:

1. Last night, I got up from the computer to brush my teeth and discovered all three cats clustered at the bathroom door. Feeling that such collaboration a little suspicious, I moved the door and discovered what I think might have been a young cricket/grasshopper/weird bug hiding desperately under the safety the 1 1/2 inch door provided. When I got back inside from escorting the bug back to a more hospitable environment, I congratulated the trio on their protective and hunting instincts.

2. I bought the first peaches of the season at last weekend’s market and have been eating them throughout the week. They were a little hard when I bought them, but Eli and Misty’s stand just smelled divine, so I knew they would ripen into something delicious. And the juice that’s been dripping off my chin each evening is the evidence I was right.

3. Yesterday, my friends came through in spades — an IM conversation with Shelley, emails from Danny and Wendy, a train ride home from a meeting with Susan and John, a phone message (relayed through Rudi) from Jason, and a nice long phone chat with Karen. As they say down here, I am blessed.