" If people said what they thought, most conversations would be brief " ~Author Unknown

Though this quote isn't ascribed to Abraham Lincoln, it sounds like something he'd say.

Brevity -- the soul of wit, according to Shakespeare. It's also the mark of a great writer. In this case, Abraham Lincoln used brevity -- a solemn, dignified brevity -- to honor the memory of fallen soldiers. Few orators -- indeed perhaps only those at President Lincoln's level -- could write a two-page speech that would become one of the most quoted addresses in American history. The Gettysburg Address contains 272 words, arranged in only ten sentences.

The Gettysburg Address is shorter than this blog entry.

As you can see, I decided to make the upper-case letters, the sentence starters, extra large -- to break up the density of the text. The sampler is configured in an east-west design, with sweeping lines of text, running from coast to coast. Those extra-large capital letters add variety to the long lines. I think they'll make the prose easier to read.

And now, it's time to introduce two hard-working cast members: Linen and Thread. [Polite applause.]

The sampler is stitched (over two threads) on 32-count Lambswool Linen from Wichelt Imports. The thread is Nutmeg from The Gentle Art. This design calls for a huge amount of Nutmeg -- enough to spice up 272 gallons of egg nog.

Why am I even thinking about egg nog today? It's 91 degrees in New York City. You could fry a block of tofu on the sidewalk. Entirely too hot and humid for April! We have no choice but to cool off with the appropriate beverages. This evening we'll mix up some Sour Apple Martinis (Apple Schnapps, Vodka, Maraschino Cherry, Ice, Ice, Ice). Jeeves, please turn on the Casablanca fan . . .

I wonder if The Gentle Art makes Sour Apple Martini thread . . . Happy Sunday to all, and I hope you'll partake in some pre-prandial beverages this evening!