‎"Of all the passions of mankind, the love of novelty most rules the mind. In search of this, from realm to realm we roam. Our fleets come loaded with every folly home." Shelby Foote, 17 Nov. 1916 ~ 27 June. 2005

If you're reading this or if you've chanced upon my Facebook profile, you know my fondness for quotations and this one is handsome indeed, no? I'll be copying it down in my little spiral bound book, sort of a mini-scrapbook I carry about. It's about 3 by 4 inches in which I paste little pictures. Originally I was going to use the little book to record that which I was putting in my mouth, contributing to my soft, thick, squashiness. I pasted in a glimpse of tight, slim torso encased in magenta silk from which I'd clipped Sara Jessica Parker's head. I ended up writing across it a line of Thos. Carlyle:

"Let me have my own way exactly in everything and a sunnier and pleasanter creature does not exist."

Again, if you're reading this, you may well be a fan as I am of Ken Burns' series of documentaries about the great and terrible Civil War and you remember how movingly Shelby Foote spoke of those long gone people and events. And if you know me, you may or may not know how many times I've moved - never longer than 5 years at one address until I was 35 - exceedingly seldom longer than one year with one fellow, back when I was still engaged in that particular pursuit of happiness.... anyway, a most appropriate quotation. God rest you Mr. Foote, and all the souls you chronicled.