It has been a troubling day. Some of you know why. I'm finding solace in little things.

Failing to find lime leaves at any local Asian market, I stopped at Bankok Hill in Lunenburg, where the cook kindly offered me some. I tried to pay him but he refused. I had never been there before, but it seemed tidy and smelled nice, and it goes without saying that they were extremely kind to me. I'll go for dinner there when the budget permits and report back on the results.

I now have the ingredients to make my soup according to the traditional recipe. I didn't have to compromise in any way.

I also finally got to visit S. S. Lobster in Fitchburg, a market Charlie recommended to me. There, I bought two pounds of fresh, raw shrimp. Beautiful little buggers. And they were exactly half the cost of lesser critters sold at the supermarkets, which is why I went for the extra. I'll be able to get a second meal out of them: maybe a noodle stir-fry. Or maybe I'll wrap them in dough and make dumplings tomorrow night.