1) Back in bed with the dregs of my second cup of coffee after a successful dinner for four last night. It was going to be five, but someone cancelled that morning. At first I felt annoyance, then compassion (I’ve had those days and have certainly cancelled at the last minute myself), and then the relief of “Oh, four is much easier than five.”
1a) One of the guests said “gluten free,” so I experimented with this recipe for a pan of chicken, potatoes, and green beans, followed by salad, and almost every single one of the Burdick’s Hallowe’en chocolates Laura sent early for my birthday. The potatoes could have used another five to ten minutes in the oven, in my view.
1b) And for a rarity, I was actually able to follow Mrs. Beeton’s old maxim “Clean as you go.” Between getting dinner in the oven and the arrival of the first guests I was able to wash up almost everything in the sink, which means all I have to deal with this morning is one pan, one spatula, and the glasses. I call that winning.
2) Today is both Grampa’s birthday and Cousin Susan’s, may they both rest in peace. It is pleasant to remember them and how special they remain.
3) Awkwardness between me and an IG follower who was maybe starting to get a little too close resulted in me putting up a couple boundaries, and then learning that the follower is, in fact, not just some rando but a close internet friend of another friend of mine for five years. So . . . still awkward, but now with reassuring references.