Gentle Reader:

The other day I found myself in the section of the public library containing all the books on etiquette, and, because I am fond of that sort of thing, I took one out - Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior, by Judith Martin. Later that day, Joshua came over to watch some Twin Peaks (we watched the final episode last night and oh, my goodness, it was terrifying!) but he picked up the book and was immediately hooked. We spent the entire evening reading about correct forms of address, formal dinner parties, and thank you notes.

The correct fur to wear when one is in mourning is sable. It is considered vulgar to so much as dip one finger in your finger bowl, which is brought in on the dessert plate. Footmen are generally addressed by their first names. This book is wonderful!

The next day, Joshua went and got a copy of Miss Manners' Guide for the Turn-of-the-Millennium from the library, and we spent some of last night and several hours this afternoon reading side by side, occasionally laughing out loud or sharing a particularly interesting fact or witty remark (I love it when she's mean to her readers). Today was also the day I noticed that all this reading had begun to alter the way we're talking to each other, which is kind of hilarious. I was left on such tenterhooks by the last episode last night and now I really want to watch Fire Walk With Me, but it is by no means certain that we will be able to tear ourselves away from our reading.

I wish it were easier to find appropriate gloves these days.