Dear Mary and Mike,
Your wonderful birthday present-- a Chef's Choice Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener-- arrived in the mail yesterday. Thank you! I was so excited that I plugged it in, and after a cursory reading of the directions (which I wouldn't normally do, but it seemed worthwhile in the interest of my knives), proceeded to sharpen every knife in the house. It worked beautifully! Knives that I had given up for worthless were slicing my test apple into paper-thin slivers.
The occasional addition of a luxury item to the kitchen is so exciting-- it feels like the breakthrough of an industry, like the invention of the cotton-gin or the printing press-- because my food improves exponentially. Some recent breakthroughs in Megan's Kitchen, Inc.: a food processor (I can't believe I used to rely on a blender!!), a mortar and pestle (ah, the flavors of crushed herbs!!), and now, a knife sharpener (chopping is fun again!). To carry on with my industrial metaphor, I thank you for your investment. As a stockholder, I'm sure you'll be very pleased with the dividends (when you come to visit and eat my cooking). In the meantime, rest assured that your son and I eat very well.
Love, Megan.