"Thank You For Being My Family"

Dana and Jim joined us for dinner last night and it was a wonderful joint effort. John cooked skirt steak, I made roasted veggies  and sauteed mushrooms and onions to put on it. Susan, having noticed all the limes on our tree whipped up a lime pound cake with cream cheese glaze topped with lime zest. I didn't get a picture of it because it completely disappeared within moments of being served! There was a lot of reminiscing about the good old days on Magnolia Street and Craig and Jim were very gracious about hearing us talk about times they weren't  part of. They seemed to have plenty to talk to each other about.

Sometimes young people need someone besides their parents to talk to and I was that person for Susan. We spent many hours sitting at our Magnolia Street kitchen table drinking coffee and chatting. As we were leaving this morning to go to the farmers' market, and Susan and Craig were moving on to visit friends in Healdsburg, Dana took this picture with Susan's phone. When I asked her to send the picture and thanked them for coming, she sent the picture and said, "Thank you for everything! Especially for being my family." 

It was a lovely visit and I hope they continue to visit and liven up the place.

At the market we bought some very aromatic shiitake mushrooms which came with suggestions from the vendor on how to cook them with onions and garlic and 'just a little bit of oyster sauce' and put them in an omelette. In the flurry of leaving the house, I forgot my phone or I would have taken his picture as he offered a couple very aromatic  'outdoor' mushrooms and and then some scentless 'indoor' ones for us to sniff. 

Cabbage, a bag of escarole mix greens, some scallions, home baked brioche bread and some sausages completed our bag of purchases which was quite heavy by the time we got back to the car. All the vendors we like were there today on the first Saturday in several weeks that it hasn't been raining or threatening to rain and they were all quite happy about it.

With my sewing machine in working order I worked on sewing together Kathy's long delayed Christmas present this afternoon, but I doubt if I will get it finished by Monday.

The neighbors are coming over with treats and a bottle of rosé soon. Janet said they have ordered a couch and it will get here in just a few weeks, so for now, our place is more comfy. 

i hope their couch isn't stuck in the Suez Canal.