I'm always happy to be able to "put together" something yummy and nutritious from whatever scraps happen to be about the kitchen. This afternoon I discovered a container of plain (whole milk) yogurt with today's date on it, AND about a half-cup of Half-&-Half with tomorrow's. On this warm afternoon, I dumped 'em into the blender and then decided to process half a bunch of fresh spearmint into it. The yogurt was quite sour, so I added sugar...and then one drop of essential oil of spearmint, for zing. What a lovely, refreshing snack! Bonus: The pale green (my favorite) color. I enjoyed it with a few spears of fresh watermelon. B-Heaven.

For dinner, I'm thinking Salade Niçoise: Butter lettuce, tuna, a hardboiled egg, red peppers, and a small potato, with some sort of dressing: Vinaigrette or Aïoli. No rosé in the house, but I can finish-off the 2005 Sauvignon Blanc (or the '95 Vosne-Romanée!) that's in the fridge door.

More LITTLE food things:

- Whole Foods Market now sells these mini-bagels, a dozen to a sealed plastic bag - I love 'em! Here's why: You can keep them in the fridge and pull out one-at-a-time, per person, for a very small (enriched white flour) wheat portion: Just enough! Each whole "Bagelette" weighs 1 ounce, the equivalent of one slice of bread; and I only eat that much bread per day, so it's perfect. For those with a yet smaller bread allowance, eat HALF a Bagelette!

- Portions: Since I tend to forget to eat what's perishing in the fridge, I have reverted to shopping à l'Européene: One meal at a time! I might buy ONE lamb chop, or a quarter pound of halibut, or ONE little potato. I have the cheese guy slice me the tiniest sliver of cheese. Don't be ashamed to ask for minuscule amounts; if the clerk has attitude about that, wonder why, but don't be intimidated.

- Clean, natural rice pudding comes in single serving kid-packs, very handy for snacktime. Spoon a whole (large ice cube-sized) pack onto a dish with a few berries or disks of banana.

- The little "shot glass" portion of heavy cream I occasionally enjoy at bedtime - sometimes diluted with cooled tea.

- Little sips: I buy Trocken Sekt (champagne-method dry sparkling wine, made from German Riesling) in single-serve bottles that come 3-to-a-pack. Perfect for small brunches: No more gone-flat ex-sparkling in the fridge door.

Non-Gustatory Little Things:

- The unbelievably fragrant green/white blossoms growing between my sanseveria's (snake plant's) leaves: I've never seen/smelled these, over the years. Maybe the plant really loves its relatively new location by the (N-facing) window.

- A few pairs of little reading glasses, "grabbable" from any (yes, ANY) perch in the house.

- Little Pacifica-brand votive candles in favorite fragrances, on sale: "Rose" for the bathroom, "Indochine" (lemongrass/cucumber) for the bedroom, "Spanish Amber" and "Guaiacwood" for hall and living room....

- Picked up a little book(let) at a book sale yesterday, called "The Principle of Non-Intrusion", a series of sermons (1952) by a Baptist named Duncan E. Littlefair. An amazingly applicable point of view (vis-à-vis SHARING, as opposed to IMPOSING or even PERSUADING, re: the Blood Type Diet, et al.), clearly and methodically explaining why Intrusion (defined in novel ways) can be counted upon to result in rejection of both idea/product and intruder! Good for anyone in sales, family life, marriage, courtship, community, u-name-it. A refreshing perspective, challenging the reader's expectations or prejudices, given the denomination!

- Little bottles of essential oils. Some essences are so costly, they come in 1 millilitre bottles: That's 1/30 of an ounce! Some people exercise their pecs or glutes; I enjoy olfactory workouts at my organ of 100 essences.

The Best Saved for Last:

- The littlest people in the world, because of whom I make (almost) a living. My smallest ever, born last December, weighed 4 lbs., 8 oz.

- Kindnesses:

-- "Hello" and a smile to the neighbor.
-- Remembering peoples' names.
-- Holding the elevator door for someone, even when you're in a hurry.
-- Tipping the counterperson.
-- Waving the other driver in.
-- Giving up your seat for your elder.
-- Saying "Thank You".
--...Refraining from Intrusion.