What a weekend!
Friday night we enteretained friends for dinner at my house. There were eight of us for tequila sunrises, wine, steak and salmon on the grill and asparagus. Simple, but fun with many laughs, mostly at my expense.
Saturday night, I enjoyed a special birthday dinner at the amazing Hen of the Wood in Waterbury with old friend, Chris Pace. Chris and I met in 1988 right after we had both gotten married when we both lived in Forest Hills, Queens.
Mother's Day was anticlimatic as I had been working my tail off all last week to ensure other people's mothers received their shortbread. Honestly, I'm not much into the holiday. I like to think my daughter makes every day a happy mother's day for me when she makes me proud of her and treats me respectfully. That means more to me than breakfast in bed because the Hallmark marketers encourage it. There was quite a bit of blended family "drama" here at my house. I hopped in the car and took off. I choose not to be near loud, bitter, whining voices. I don't believe yelling and big fights are normal parts of solving problems and I won't participate...ever.
Some time tending my perennial garden soothed my ragged nerves later in the day followed by a lovely dinner out with Brian at Bangkok Bistro in downtown Burlington. My hot and dirty martini was salty with olive juice, hot with tabasco and an oh-so-strong end to an oh-so-strongly emotional day. Yum.
The biggest part of my weekend was NOT getting ready for National Shortbread Day as I had anticipated. Many events and interactions converged this weekend to drive home the voice in my head that says, "Write about food...write about food...this is your calling."
So that's what I'm going to do, starting with my story of Hen of the Wood Saturday night. It's a story of two aging baby boomers telling stories of their 19-year relationship and reflecting on how their lives and bodies have changed over local cheeses and cosmopolitans while sitting in an historic grist mill at a window overlooking a Vermont waterfall. Stay tuned. I do believe a new blog is emerging which will eventually become a book. I will tell you where to find this new blog once it's set up (hopefully later this week).
Now for the fun of National Shortbread Day...friend and professional organizer, Jane Agran will be helping me to deliver shortbread on Wednesday. I'll be spending today and tomorrow figuring out our stops and routine. Photos to follow later on in the week!
So, remember, if you buy a gift box shortbread on Wednesday, May 16th, you will receive a second one (same flavor) FREE! This offer is good for orders placed on May 16th only.
Whoo hoo! I'm famous:) Let me know where to find your yummy-inspired new food blog (& where to find your new book) I loved our conversations over
cheese and cosmos. The only thing that would have made it more "perfecter"... some of your wee shortbread hearts with our Creme Brulee!
Love & Happy Birthday
Chris
Posted by: Chris | May 15, 2007 at 09:40 AM