mom's back! and she brought presents

yay!!! Mom's back in town*! I've been having urges to call her, but she's been in Tahiti. that's right. for Lent, my mom went to Tahiti. I can't complain, cause it meant she stopped by for a visit (and was brokenhearted to miss the mags and t neece! seriously. she kept talking about it, you guys). She and Dick played and bought me wine and dinner...and came back with this:

The story of the manual manipulation of vanilla plants. for pollination. also customs. cause our lovely golden state is fierce about ag. imports. So- Momma got herself some black pearls (I asked for none, please), and me A Vanilla Bean.

What makes this, in fact, a fabulous gift is that once i plunk said bean into a bottle of liquor (vodka and rum were Mom's suggestions), I'll have a gigantic bottle of Tahitian Vanilla Extract.

and then we will make cookies!

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*I'm using "town" loosely here. What I really mean is "in the US".