In the doll-house I generally avoid complicated meals because the kitchen is so small that I have to wash dishes between each step. But last night I decided to make a polpettone, an Italian-style stuffed meatloaf, which I filled with spinach, feta, olives, and pumpkin seeds. I did indeed have to wash dishes all evening long, but the meal was worth it. Despite the multiple steps, the process is simple and the stuffing ingredients are variable according to what happens to be in season or in the refrigerator.

Perhaps I was feeling extra cheerful because (1) Baron and Janet drove over to see the new house after his reading, and they have been significant sources of affection throughout my leaving-Harmony ordeal; and (2) the kitchen has walls and a ceiling!

Perhaps I was also feeling cheerful about having gone to the reading, absorbed complicated thoughts about Lear and human suffering, visited with people I love, and reminded myself that a world exists beyond paint and caulk . . . but that a language of paint and caulk also has its eloquence.

Getting back to those walls, though: The kitchen now has insulation, and that has made a surprising difference in how quiet the house is. It was never a noisy place, but all of a sudden it has become snug and self-contained. I think this must be making our ghost so happy. And there is comedy involved, too, because Tom bought moisture-resistant sheetrock for the kitchen, which instead of being plain white is the color of eggplant. There's something very funny about a purple ceiling.