Weekend Roundup

She's Making a List, Checking it Twice....No It's Not Christmas

I thoroughly enjoyed my birthday weekend. We don't do just birth'days' round these parts. We milk it for as long as we can.

Friday was great all around, including the pretty new cosmo glasses sister Di gave me- love 'em. After we got home from my parents and the birthday celebration there, we cut a rug or two to some fun youtube selections including a little Cee Lo green and Tony Bennet.  We do enjoy a dance around the living room and kitchen, at some point during most weekends. 

The rest of the weekend went just as well. Here's some things that made for a good birthday weekend: 

• Gar built a table for my new printer. I will be painting is shortly. It's pretty basic, but that's all I need.

• Weather was nice so he got to work outside and I got to have the campfire I wanted on Saturday night.

• Neighborhoodlums Sandee and Gerry swung by the fire.

• Sandee made Stratford on a Crouton, one of my all time favorite appetizers, and brought me a gift. I'll share the Straford recipe the next time I make it.

• Neighborhoodlums Tom and Joanie had our neighbors-in-law Carol and Emile (Joanie's brother and his wife) over for dinner and they all popped by the campfire.  Not only that, but Joanie and Tom brought me a Carvel Ice Cream Cake for my bday. YUM.

• This was big for Carol and Emile, because they're about ready to head back to Florida for the Winter, and though I thought it was a perfect fall day, others thought it was freezing! So cold, they had to warm their tushes by the fire.

• I thought that it was a glorious night for a campfire with friends.  Lucan enjoyed too.

• When we went in, we caught the rest of the Bruins game. They took care of business and beat Toronto 7-0, and our 'kid' Tyler Sequin scored his first hat-trick. This made me very happy.

• Sunday morning we decided to go out for some breakfast and headed to Portsmouth.  When we got there it was such a beautiful day we decided to enjoy the day and take a walk, knowing our favorite little irish place would be open for lunch by the time we were done.

• We met the lovliest man, Adrienne, while were enjoying the views from the bridge. He'd grown up in Kittery, Maine, just on the other side of the river, but had been living in Texas for years. He'd just moved back to be closer to his family. The three of us must have talked about the Seacoast and traveling for nearly 30 minutes. 

• Our favorite table at RiRa was just waiting for us in the corner when we got there, and so was a our favorite server, Michael- a lovely Irish lad.  Check this link out for nice interior pictures of the fantastic dome at RiRa from a previous visit. Back to this weekend's visit.......Michael brought me a big pot of tea, and once I'd promptly finished that I went for the gusto. Look at those biggo honkin' olives! Briny and delicious and just what I wanted.

• I don't know who the guy is behind me, but he's not getting my bloody mary or my irish paper. Gar and I love sitting down at RiRa and reading the Irish paper. 

• We both ordered fish and chips........SO good. 

• As if the beer battered fish and chips weren't enough, they give you both tartar sauce and rose marie sauce. It's an Irish thing and it's good for dippin' your fries.

• Happy husband = happy wife. Don't come between a man and his pint of Guinness.

• After we finished lunch, we stopped at McKinnon's and talked to the Rick the Butcher.  It was Gar's first time to the store and he was impressed. We left with lots of good stuff, including the pork roast I cooked last night.  We followed up dinner with the aforementioned Carvel Ice Cream Cake- a very tasty ending.

As I said, a pretty darn good weekend all in all. Thanks to all who made it special, including my online pals and well wishers. 

Sunset Meadows

Just as we were starting the campfire Saturday evening, the sun was going down.  The focus is a little off, but the color makes it worth posting this picture anways.

I hope your weekends were just as good. Did you get to do anything special or out of the ordinary? Did you at least get to kick back and relax? Please say yes.

Have a fantastic Monday.  I'm going to do some painting.  Hopefully it dries quick so I can work on setting up the new printer a little later.