Fudge

I have found a new muse.

Fudge.


I still love my Raisinets, of course, and consider them a vital component in my writing process, as well as my primary source of fruit, but fudge... mmm, fudge...

My husband came home the other day with a little Tiffany-blue box labeled "Sweet Melissa" (the name of the new gourmet candy shop in our town). Inside was a quarter-pound of raspberry-chocolate fudge, a quarter-pound of caramel-chocolate fudge, and a cute little plastic knife so that I could immediately begin slicing my fudge and shoveling it into my mouth (which I did).

I am considering having my husband knighted. (Can you do that? Can you nominate someone for knighthood? I know Sir Nils Olav was knighted a little while ago, and he's a penguin.)

The importance of chocolate in the creative process should not be underestimated. It works as a reward, it works as a break, it works as as a late-night caffeine source... I would eat it in a box. I would eat it with a fox. I would eat it here and there. I would eat it anywhere.

Except maybe for breakfast. I'm not a big chocolate-at-breakfast girl. Except for Nutella. And these churros and chocolate that I had on a trip to Spain. We ate them every single morning -- at least every morning once I realized you were supposed to dip the churros into the cup of liquid chocolate. First time I tried to order "chocolate caliente," I thought the chocolate was really, really thick hot cocoa, and I drank it. Got a few strange looks for drinking the dip. Three years of high school Spanish, and there I was, drinking the dip. Anyway. Fudge...

Oh, fudge, thou art delicious,
I would eat you with the fishes,
I would eat you rain or shine,
if you promise to always be mine.

Anyhoo... In non-fudge-related news, I want to tell you about the great library visit I did last week. I spoke to around twenty teens at the Northport Public Library in Northport, NY, as part of Teen Read Week. I had a fabulous time. Everyone had great questions, plus the wonderful librarians did a fantastic job -- they even decorated with Wild-appropriate vines and served wild-berry Lifesavers! Also, the Northport Library is gorgeous. It has a courtyard, a cafe, art displays... Even though I adore my local library, I still had a wee bit of library envy. Luckily, I had my fudge to console me.