It was just the 10th anniversary of the magazine with the February/March issue -- a milestone to be excited about. Barbara and Mary have really made something out of that brainstorm we had over lunch one day in Atlanta so long ago. We talked about all the features that we would like to see in a magazine...new artists, flea market shopping, handmade crafts, food for real women who work, homes to inspire artistic, creative people, essays about the home, good news to encourage our faith in the world. The magazine is still that and so much more. Congratulations to everyone at the Home Companion for accomplishing so much, so beautifully, for so long.

This is my copy of the first issue, one that we did mostly as a trio -- Barbara, Mary and I treating it like one of our books. Everything still looks so current after 10 years. Even this.

The other night I pulled this tired old rickety chair away from the table, dragged it to the kitchen counter and read the recipe off the seat while I made apple cheesecake for a dinner party. It doesn't look so great after all these years though.

It's one of 4 chairs at the kitchen table and has had a few mishaps. Someone spilt water on it which went undiscovered for an hour or so. The seat will never look the same, but I can still read it, can still sit in it. I'm thinking about Easter dinner today and starting with dessert first, backing my way into the menu. The recipe is so delicious, but it calls for way too much butter, too much cream cheese. Feeling a bit like the chair, not quite as fit and trim as I was 10 years ago, I decided I don't care- it's a holiday. I do want a piece of this cheesecake so I'm heading off to stock up on cream cheese and butter! O, yeah, and all the other stuff to fill a plate for dinner first. I'd love to know-- what are you planning for dessert? Kind of hoping it's not a fruit plate. xoC