Connections
This weekend was all about connections for me. A weekend of non-stop connections.
My mom flew into Chicago on Friday evening. After she got into town, Sweets and I went to dinner with her. After plans to hit Chelsea Grill changed due to an unexpected closure, we wandered across the street to a new restaurant, LM. An owner from France, a menu with heavy French influences and orange accents galore. We had a fantastic meal, complete with foie gras, pork belly and dessert on the house. Sweets and I will definitely return.
Saturday, we went to celebrate Baby Z‘s birthday party. Sweets’ parents and my aunt also attended. The baby’s mama‘s put on a great party, complete with lots of kids running around, a few fights with a theme of “mine” sending kids into tears and a fabulous cake. I was able to connect with mutual friends (very good friends of ours who have become friends with the baby’s mamas) who I don’t get to see as often as I used to. I also got to meet new friends, people I’d love to see again.
My offer to the moms? To photograph the event so they could focus on the party.
Saturday night, Sweets and I stayed home while my mom went to babysit Baby Z. We had plans to host brunch for 20 on Sunday, so some preparations were severely needed. I made a prosciutto, onion and sage bread and prepared an egg strata. I got my head wrapped around what I’d need to do on Sunday when I woke up.
After walking the dog on Sunday morning, and with help from my mom, I got the onions, rosemary and red potatoes in the oven, adding the strata a little later. The plates and glasses were set out. Sweets got coffee brewing, while I put water and orange juice in pitchers. Just as we were lighting a few candles around the house, guests started arriving. My aunt and uncle. Baby Z and her mamas. Sweets’ parents. My maid of honor and her boyfriend. My aunt’s best friend, her long term partner, her son and daughter in law and their two children. Another one of my aunt’s friends. Sixteen adults. Three children. One dog. To celebrate Z’s birthday the day before. To celebrate my uncle’s birthday that day. To call my brother’s boyfriend to wish him a happy birthday, too. It was a full house. Full of warmth. And love.
I took virtually no photos. I was too busy taking food out of the oven. Setting out the fruit salad and beet salad and eclairs brought by friends. Refilling pitchers of water and juice. Asking Sweets to make more coffee (I firmly believe since I don’t drink coffee, I shouldn’t make it – I’d likely make sludge!) Encouraging loved ones to eat, eat, EAT. However, I did capture a couple photos before the circus that I’m happy to share here.
We dropped my mom off at the airport Sunday early evening. Came home to clean up the kitchen. And collapsed on the couch. It was a long, full weekend. It’s weekends like this one that remind me my life is full. I am surrounded by amazing people so full of love. I am so fortunate and lucky.
What about your weekend reminds you how good your life is?
January 18th, 2010 at 8:51 am
It is such a happy exhaustion though! The highlight for me was actually the dog training class. It made me feel so lucky to have rescued another dog and seeing how she changed from one class to the next. Then having her fall asleep under the covers as I was reading in bed last night using my ankle as a pillow!
Oh, can you send me the recipe for prosciutto, onion and sage bread ? That sounds so amazing!
January 18th, 2010 at 9:19 am
I can’t decide between the dinner with a good friend and her husband on Saturday night, hanging out with someone on Friday night who is near and dear to me no matter what, or staying up super late Sunday night skyping with my brother, chatting about all things under the sun while simultaneously watching the dogs play with their toys as we anxiously awaited my parents return home from Miami, FL.
Also? that bread sounds DIVINE. As do the potatoes and considering I was lucky enough to eat them when I was there I know they were good. Zora is a great name and a beautiful child to boot!
January 18th, 2010 at 9:32 am
That sounds like an amazing weekend!
January 18th, 2010 at 9:50 am
Ha! I refuse to make coffee too! It just sounds like a bad idea.
Sounds like a fun weekend!
January 18th, 2010 at 10:53 am
your weekends are always surrounded by such delicious sounding food. I love French food!
January 18th, 2010 at 10:56 am
What a lovely weekend, and your photos are just beautiful! This weekend, the coffee with my dad, and the silly excited noise my Sweet made at the thought of chicken fingers, made me think of how wonderful life is :)
January 18th, 2010 at 11:02 am
Wow, what a mammoth of a weekend! I don’t envy you having to do all of that stuff! My weekend was spent preparing for next semester and other mundane things…
January 18th, 2010 at 11:19 am
Cute little guy. We went to a 1st birthday party on Sunday night for one of our friends. They made a second cake (smaller) just for him to put his hands in. With chocolate frosting all over his hands, he went from having fun to getting frustrated with trying to get the chocolate off.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:34 am
I’ve wanted to become more of a culinary adventurer as of late and pork belly is at the top of my list. I mean they eat that shiz up on Top Chef! ah ha ha
January 18th, 2010 at 11:54 am
sounds like a wonderful weekend! baby zora is just adorable! im glad everything worked out well!
January 18th, 2010 at 11:58 am
LM looks awesome. I walked by there last year and told myself to put it on the list of places to check out but have since forgotten. It’s a bit of a hike for me, but glad to hear it’s worth it!
January 18th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
beet salad -- ugh :)
spending far too much time in bed yesterday made my heart very happy
January 18th, 2010 at 2:49 pm
when there is foie gras, how could it be a bad weekend? i have yet to have foie gras, which is crazy because i want to try it more than anything, because i know it is something i will lobe too much. ahh to be a foodie in the suburbs. boo.
looks like you had a good weekend.
hugs for a happy monday
January 18th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
[...] of things which are on my list, that I have yet to try, the idea struck me today while reading Nilsa’s post about her weekend of fun and foie [...]
January 18th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
What a fun weekend!
My plan-free, come as we please weekend reminded me that I am exactly where I want to be!
January 18th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
I think your whirl wind weekend sounds amazing. It would have left me feeling a bit breathless in an entirely good way. Times spent with family and friends like that are such great reminders of how lucky we are to be blessed with so many fantastic connections in our lives.
January 18th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
So glad you had a happy, exhausting weekend.
January 18th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
i like your life.
and i’m glad you do too : )
January 18th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
That sounds like a great weekend! I had a weekend with friends to celebrate my birthday and was reminded that being with people I love and who love me makes me feel grounded and appreciative.
January 18th, 2010 at 9:54 pm
Sounds like a great weekend. That’s so nice that your mom came to visit! Gorgeous photos too. That cake looks delish.
January 19th, 2010 at 11:51 am
aw that was nice to photograph it all. the cake looks delish. cute kid:)
January 19th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
Wow -- sounds like you had a totally full weekend! It’s times like those when you are grateful for the people in your life and even more grateful for the breaks in between seeing them in masses!
Reminder this weekend of how we are blessed: With Monday off to remember MLK, LA got a dump load of rain. More than we usually see. All the streets flooded, our roof leaked, our garage was soaked inside. Rather than worrying about it, we (Hubs and brother, who is now living with us), made paper boats and had a race down our flooded street. Of course mine won ;)
January 19th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Oh that sounds so perfect, and the bread!! Oh my goodness. Please come here and teach me your ways.
I think one of the best ways we can spend our time is with people who are connected to our lives. Those connections and shared knowledge ground us and stretch us, and sometimes they even make us their event photographers. lol
January 20th, 2010 at 3:28 pm
I didn’t read the whole thing. BUT, I did look at the pictures and I really like your photography skillz.