The act of creation is an art form unto itself, each scoop of sugar poured into the vat of brewed tea is followed by a tea cup dipped into the tepid liquid and handed around for quick sips. There is quiet contemplation confirming that the liquid is still just tea, until that final sip when the transformation is complete. The vat now contains that most quintessential of Southern drinks: sugar turned liquid in a suspension of water and tea. In the end, no one has any idea just how much sugar has been added.

Incidentally, I prefer my iced tea unsweetened (sacrilegious, I know).

I have of late made good on the threat of July 21st to actually read the bridge books I have been accumulating, but the downside of that decision is that I find myself thinking of little else. Even my subconscious is getting in on the act, my dreams are, not unlike Alice’s, filled with hostile playing cards.

Last week I went to Virginia to see my grandmother. It was a very pleasant trip, and well-timed, right at the height of the Fall color. The mountainside shimmered in slow motion — each day deepening shades of yellow, orange and red spread further. I watched this transformation. I read about bridge. I thought about bridge. I tried not to talk about bridge (too much), which made me appreciate all-the-more the fact that my grandmother and I are able to spend time together comfortably in silence.

The impetus for this particular push came from my ever patient bridge partner who suggested I learn 2 Over 1, which is a modification of the SAYC system. I read the book he lent me. It seemed straightforward, but there were changes of varying degrees taking place seemingly everywhere I looked. It is in that way the old system becomes the new one. It is a lot of information to absorb, but it is added slowly.

An aside, it occurs to me that failing to update one’s ‘blog is consigning it to a slow death which may or may not be preferable to the rapid expiration brought about by limiting one’s writing to topics that are of interest to exactly and only one person (in this case, the author).