At what point do you give up on ketchup emerging from the bottle in a restaurant? How aggressive is still within the bounds of appropriate table manners? This was my lunch dilemma today. I didn't want to make a scene with all the slapping. My knife was already dirty, so I didn't feel insertion was an option. Could I stick a fry in the bottle?

I was Christmas shopping today in an artsy old textile mill redone into shops. I try to resist the urge to buy too much for myself, but do indulge in a reward or two. Today I bought the word PEACE to place on my mantle. It was bent metal painted red and sprinkled with fake snow. When I picked it up, I was surprised at its heft. Although it wasn't very expensive, it was more of a burden on the long walk to the car than I had bargained for.

Do you find that peace, though appearing to be affordable and accessible, is more difficult to bring into your home than you realized?