My wife is not a person who spends money on herself. She shops at thrift stores, and is nearly traumatized when I get her a present, which I try to do often. This week, she stunned me by buying a new sewing machine. Her other one had lasted 20 years and was growing mold. The new one has a lot of stitches, and many feet, whatever that means. She is excited. I know from camera lenses that new equipment often brings new ideas and a spur of creativity. I have to think of some kind of initiation ceremony.

Tonight, I am having dinner with a group of people who paid a shockingly high amount of money to bid to have dinner with me. The money goes to benefit an educational center, the Green Mountain Academy in Manchester, Vt. I do this from time to time, and am always amazed that people spend money to dine with me. I told Maria she should appreciate this, and she laughed a long time and rolled her eyes. Then she said she would skip the dinner to stay at home and work on her new sewing machine.

So much for the big shot. I am very excited about the new machine. Machines like this are creative tools, an affirmation of life and art. I wish her great luck with it. She is already humming away.