diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index e679bf0..dccb7dc 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
   date: "Thu May 08 2025 19:41:30.000000000"
 }
 
+$test{ limit = "is this?" }[[what $limit]][[second $limit]]
+
 $render{"templates/wares"}
 
 <h2>Posts</h2>
diff --git a/site.moon b/site.moon
index 3f58d3e..9a03003 100644
--- a/site.moon
+++ b/site.moon
@@ -112,11 +112,48 @@ html_renderer.cosmo_helpers.titleize = (slug) => titleize_slug slug
 files_from = (path=".") ->
   [Path.join path, file for file in *reverse get_files path]
 
+test = (args, has_block) =>
+  p args
+  p has_block
+  -- if has_block then cosmo.yield {limit: args[1]} else args[1]
+  args._template = 2
+  cosmo.yield(args)
+  -- html = @site\get_renderer "sitegen.renderers.html"
+  -- page\merge_meta vals
+  -- page.tpl_scope = page.meta
+  -- page.template_stack = common.Stack!
+  -- html\render page, assert args[1] or template, "missing html string"
+  nil
+
+-- use in templates
+-- $list2{[[<p>$title</p>]], limit = 2}
+-- $each{$list2({limit = 3}), "item"}[[$item]]
+list2 = (args={}) =>
+  pages = @site\query_pages { is_a: "post" }
+  table.sort pages, (a, b) -> a.source > b.source
+  limit_or_page_count = math.min args.limit or #pages, #pages
+
+  result = for page in *pages[1, limit_or_page_count]
+    { :title, :id, publish_date: pub_date, :blurb } = page.meta
+    title = title or titleize_slug id
+    url = rootname page\url_for!
+    vals = { title: title, publish_date: pub_date, blurb: blurb, url: url }
+
+    html = page.site\get_renderer "sitegen.renderers.html"
+    page\merge_meta vals
+    page.tpl_scope = page.meta
+    page.template_stack = common.Stack!
+    html\render page, assert args[1] or template, "missing html string"
+
+  return if args[1] then table.concat result else result
+
 sitegen.create =>
   @site_title = "WebDevCat.me"
   @app_name = "stasis"
   @version = "0.2.12"
   @list_posts = list_posts @, template
+  @test = test
+  @list2 = list2
 
   add_all = (files) ->
     for path in *files