10:21 a.m. Some days you don't have to go out to make friends -- some days you get to sit at home and friends come to see you in your own humble abode. Today was one such day.

The lovely Tess and her handsome hubby were kind enough to stop by today and we had a really fun time with a great variety of things to talk about over an equally great variety of cheese.

Tess loves cheese. Cheese is easy on a hostess. You sort of open it, unwrap it, slice it, let it come to room temperature -- all the skills I possess. Instant smiles, good nutrition -- no work at all. Really. I think I'm going to become an all-cheese, all-the-time hostess.

Plus, I got to show off all my stuff and even drag out my stalled creative project for some expert help. All in all, a warm relaxing day, except for the first five minutes.

You see, I sort of overslept. I'd meant to get up early, straighten the place up, maybe even vacuum. Don't laugh. I thought I heard the phone ringing, or maybe it was a car alarm ... run to the back door, run to the front door, run to the answer machine upstairs to try to catch the message, run back down to the answer machine downstairs to try to catch the message, and then finally and breathlessly, open the front door.

Without even combing my hair. So much for a good first impression. And yes, I never did find my shoes.

But that's ok. We already know each other through our mutual work, right? Thank God. Otherwise, I would have been just another strange woman clutching a doorknob at the crack of dawn without coffee or grooming.

Coffee fixes everything. And cocoa. And bubbles. and jellybeans from Kelli.

And everything goes well with cheese.