14 miscellaneous ideas today

1. It is 49 days before Christmas, I understand.
2. The grocery store is lightly decorated, and the baking section is fully stocked.
3. In Canada, we have nothing else to think of between Halloween and Christmas, unlike the Americans, who have Thanksgiving to divert them.
4. A friend and I were discussing shortbread. I insist on brown sugar, while she is not offended by icing sugar, which of course, doesn't really make real shortbread like brown sugar does. 
5. I had to make some proper Christmas shortbread to prove it. 
6. One cup of brown sugar, two cups of butter, four cups of flour. Knead it up, chill in logs, slice and bake for 30 minutes or so in a slow oven, about 275ºF.
7. Well, then I had whole lot of shortbread, and it is not really Christmas yet.
8. So I put a couple of dozen pieces in a box and mailed them off to my parents.
9. I specially stopped on my way to the post office to buy some real Earl Grey tea, since it is my dad's favourite.
10. I forgot to put the tea in the package, so now what? They will have an imperfect tea party.
11. I also stopped by at the library, and got a book by Martha Grimes, whose books I hardly ever read. Any opinions? I think of her as churning them out, but maybe I am mistaken.
12. Oh, dear, it seems it's a sequel to something. Maybe I have to rethink this. It's called Dakota.
13. I also got Hoopla: the art of unexpected embroidery. It looks pretty entertaining. I will read that tonight. 
14. I am still knitting on Botticelli.