I had my last Wednesday morning baby dancing stint at the prep today. I was greeted by tiny pianists who were having an adjudication in my classroom. I had to wait until some small child wearing a soccer uniform finished playing 5 note scales to obtain my dancing scarves, eggshakers, sticks and triangles to teach my very important classes to the privileged young children affiliated with Johns Hopkins University.

This evening, due partly to a terribly aching left hand I decided not to practice and instead to make an elaborate dinner; namely, a potato, beet, mushroom casserole. I've made it before and had forgotten that it takes no less than five pots from start to finish. One must boil beets, boil potatoes, mash potatoes, saute mushrooms and shallots; and then make a tasty neon pink mix of beets, half & half, horseradish and mustard in a thickened stock of vegetable broth and flour. Then one is to compile afore mentioned ingredients into an appealing sundae - type design and bake for 30 minutes at 350. It is actually very tasty and ALMOST worth the effort, although I accidentally drank almost an entire bottle of wine during the process.