A new light over the kitchen sink has really brightened things up.

Hardboiled eggs make for easy mornings.

A whirlwind day of book promotion in Carlisle, PA. My friend Christine coordinated the day’s activities and did an amazing job.

Driving home from Carlisle, I stopped in Morgantown and a basket of jammable berries leapt into my car.

The lovely Cheryl Sternman Rule dropped by Reading Terminal Market to promote her book.

A canning class in the Greensgrow kitchen.

The light in Mass MoCA (a modern art museum in western Massachusetts).

I’m still taking daily photos. But I thought I’d try something a little different this year and post a week’s worth of images instead of trying to do it daily. Because we all know how well that works.

I truly believe this.

Put a bird on it. I’m from Portland, after all.

The cookbook promotion truly kicks off.

In Manhattan for the day, at TECHmunch. I managed to turn a frustrating situation into a good one. And also saw a dear friend. Not bad for a Friday.

Jean, my dear cousin by partnership, made me a pinch pie for my birthday. It was a most delightful surprise.

My great-aunt Belle celebrated her 94th birthday today. She is still sharp as a tack.

The new Milk and Honey cafe at Sister Cities Park. A fabulous little spot!

Franz and Eva’s wedding. She got him good with the cake.

For weeks now, people were asking me if I had copies of my book yet. Each time, I had to tell them, “Well, I’ve only got a single copy right now.” Finally, today I have many copies. It’s ridiculous how much of a thrill it gives me to look at this stack.

I’m hoping that this weekend, I have time to run into my local Barnes and Noble to see if they have any copies in stock. It’s always been fun to see copies of Scott’s books on the shelves there, but I think this may just trump that.

This morning’s breakfast. Eggs in a basket were one of the very first things I learned to cook when I was a kid. Twenty-five years later, I still enjoy them. Of course, the very best part is the circle of bread cut out from the center of the slice. I always cook it along side the eggy bread, making sure that it gets its fair share of butter. Topped with a hunk of tomato, it’s magical.

Amazon has been shipping out copies of my book to people who pre-ordered. Because I’m a big dork, I ordered one from there because I wanted to experience it arriving in that signature Amazon box.

I’m still a little uncertain how to be as this book starts landing in the hands of others. I’m anxious that people will hate it, find a million mistakes and write me off.

Thankfully, those worries don’t seem to be coming true. The bulk of the feedback has been wonderful, complementary and joyful. The only rub is that accepting praise has never been easy for me. Though I am so grateful for all the kind words, I never feel like my words of thanks are sincere and appreciative enough.

I’m working on it.

Pour-over coffee is all the rage right now, but honestly, it’s how I’ve been making coffee for years. To my mind, it’s one of the best ways to make a single cup without a lot of waste or excess. Best of all, I got my ceramic cone at a thrift store in the boondocks of Pennsylvania for $.50. I do love a bargain.

A hazy Monday in Philadelphia. Nothing seemed particularly lovely to me today.

The Headhouse Square Farmers’ Market reopened for the season today. One of the vendors brought their dog and in order to ensure that he was comfortable, brought this little wicker couch for him to hang out in. Good life, little doggy.