1. I think I'm really looking forward to our very full weekend this weekend. I plan to kick it off by being in Level One Jammies (LOJ) by 7 p.m. tonight. Movies maybe? Or baseball game? Cal has his own baseball game in the middle of the day on Saturday and then we have an exciting trip to Lowe's (a home improvement store) planned. Woo-hoo. Dinner out Saturday night, and Callum's forensics tournament is all day on Sunday. Neel and I drop him off just after noon and don't go back until the awards ceremony around four. Yipes! And at some point I'll have to go to the grocery store.

2. I think I miss having dinner parties. We never really got into the groove of it here, although we did do it with some friends here and there. In California we did it all the time. I know I've bemoaned this before. How the having people over for dinner thing just didn't gel the same way here. We do a lot with our neighbors, but it tends to be more casual pot-lucky stuff. Mark's comment on yesterday's post made me think that this is the first place I've lived in a long time where we haven't spent lots of days planning for our evenings when friends were coming for dinner. I miss it.

3. I think I'm totally digging quinoia. We made (the other) Lauren's recipe twice this week (Callum already claims he's tired of it...whatever!), and I couldn't be happier with this new addition to our diet. And have you seen her refrigerator? That's my goal. I'm not going to even try until next month to get close to this, but count me impressed.

4. I think yesterday was good at the start (school conference) rough in the middle (migraine due to a freaky weather change) but finished up pretty good in the end. I finally gave up on work for the day around 4. I caved. My head had pretty much stopped hurting at that point, but I was in a total fog and completely fatigued. Instead of trying to push through, I went with Neel to Callum's baseball practice and sat in a field of clover and watched a bunch of boys catch balls. Or not catch balls as was sometimes the case. It was fun. There was a cool breeze, but the sun was shining, and it was just what I needed.

5. I think I might want Callum's homeroom teacher and baseball coach to move in with us. Cal loves both of these men so much, and he responds to them so well. I respect them too, and frankly, I could use the help. We'd let them have the 3rd floor and they could play X-Box as long as Cal had all his work done. Sound good?

Happy Weekend, my lovelies! What's everybody up to?

I mentioned that Neel and I went to a wine tasting on Saturday. Ah, yes. It was fun.

Our neighbor and friend Catherine's church puts on this event every year, and I think we've only missed a couple in the nearly nine years we've lived here. It's usually held in February, when the lure of six or seven pours of red wine makes you brave the cold and icy weather. The company isn't bad either.

Catherine's dad hosts the event and he's witty and charming...and bossy. He keeps us on task as we move from wine to wine. As you can imagine, the further we get down the list, the more difficult a task this becomes!

The first year we went, there was bread and cheese on each table as palate cleansers. And one year, someone had the brilliant idea to bring other food. Each table now is a feast of delights. Catherine brought spinach dip and olive oil and dipping herbs to go along with the bread. We brought proscuitto-wrapped dates, and a reuben dip. My friend Candy recommended it, and let me tell you, it was the BOMB. Even if you're not a fan of the reuben, this dip is delish. Chicken salad, and pigs-in-a-blanket (can't wait to see who asks about those first!), and chocolate scattered about the table rounded out all of the yummies. It's good to have food when so much wine is flowing.

Each year, the church features a Virginia winery, and this year they went back to Veritas, a wine we'd had here before. Good choice.

By the end of the evening, things can get a little silly, but you know? That's okay. The wine is good, the evening is good, and the company is good. That's the best isn't it? Spending an evening with good friends? Yeah, the wine is nice, but really it wouldn't matter if I didn't have a drop.

five things april 20th edition

we had some wine {life}