Nero Wolfe II

I had a big bone to pick with NW. Several times Archie said that he dog-eared a page and set his book down. I have a big time aversion to dog-earing pages in books. Now I found that he classifies books A, B, C, or D and he only dog-ears the last two designated. With A books he uses a 5 inch x 1 inch thin gold strip as a book mark. With B books he uses a piece of paper. With C and D it is dog-earing. There is a whole ritual other than just the page marking and if you're interested look at the first paragraph in the novel "Plot It Yourself" by Rex Stout. I find I agree with Nero. One should never dog-ear a book that is a BOOK. Actually, I feel you should never dog-ear a book, period, but that is a Vicki phobia, not a Nero Wolfe phobia.

My favorite book mark is a double movie ticket stub. When my husband and I go to the movies, they give us the two stubs connected. There is something about them that STAYS in the book. I also then have the pleasure (sometimes, the displeasure) of remembering the movie that we saw. A double ticket seems to do the job best. They also do not collect or tear the tickets at our theatre, so I have the tickets intact.

I hope Izzy is having fun in Mongolia and working hard. He should be back soon, hopefully in one piece and with lots of information for those of us who await his words with bated breath. The travels of the younger generation take my breath away. Marvelous.

May flowers are peaking out. I saw some wild violets yesterday at the side of a sidewalk. I remember a day when they were very prevalent, but the indiscriminate spraying with pesticides have pretty well taken care of that pleasure. Too bad.

Have a wonderful day.