All things nice . . .

 

So, yesterday it rained pretty much the whole day and today is more of the same.  I drove my car into town and did some banking, and picked up something for supper. I figured out how to work the windshield wipers.  I hadn't needed them yet.  This car is very different and more modern than any car I have ever driven. Its a learning curve for sure!

 We need the rain. Its been quite dry. The countryside will really green up now. I am enjoying looking out the windows each day and seeing the leaves grow. Now it is May, we have the May blossom to look forward to, apple blossoms, etc. 

When my oldest son got married, his wife carried a bouquet of wild May blossoms.  She was a beautiful bride.  My mom and I drove over to Fredericton to go to their wedding.  They were married in the middle of a nature park. We had to walk for ages through the woods to get there. Mom was not impressed with her high-heels, lol. Those two have always done things differently. It is part of their unique charm as a couple. Love them to bits.  That was about 21 years ago now and they will be celebrating their anniversary soon.  

Actually they had gotten married in secret the year before. (It was complicated.)  So this wedding was merely a vow renewal in front of family and friends. So I guess they are celebrating their 22nd anniversary. Hardly seems possible.

 

Even harder to believe is that he will be 46 at the end of this month.  This is his first birthday. Seems like yesterday and yet it was eons ago.  He was my parent's first grandchild and everyone's little dear.  Oh how we all love him. He is a kind and gentle man, and the apple of his mother's eye.

 

 

I came across this wedding photograph of Doug and Kayla this morning. They have been married 16 years this July.  I know that because Jon (their oldest son) is turning 15 on the 6th.  Doug looks like a country singer here I think. I was so lucky to also get to their wedding.  We flew over from the UK. My brother drove us all to PEI to go to the wedding. Mom paid for our hotel rooms.  I shared with mom and he shared with my brother. 

It was a tiny bit awkward, because this was my first time seeing all of my ex-in-laws since the divorce.  Doug went out of his way to make me feel a part of things. That meant the world to me. He still does go out of his way to make me feel a part of his life. It still means the world to me. I will be happy when Covid is over and we can all get together again. 

He should soon be getting the results of his latest heart scans. I hope and pray that it is good news and that whatever the problem is, it is easily fixable. This good, good man deserves to see his boys grow all grow up.

 

He was only about six months old in this photograph. He was born with a full head of hair that he didn't lose. He ended up with Shirley Temple Curls.  He still has a full head of curly hair.  I am sure his brother's envy him this.

 

The only other wedding I managed to make it home to was Eileen and Tim's.  I just didn't have the money to make it home for the other two. In retrospect I should have borrowed it if I had to, but hindsight is 20/20.  

 

Eileen was such a cute bride.  She and Tim will have been married 9 years this coming July. I was happy to be there for their wedding and I am grateful  for the relationship we share now. We always were close and we still are.  We talk every day and have done for years.  She is handy-capable.  Once she figured out how to use the internet and had a tablet we were able to talk each and every day on messenger.  We still do, or we talk on the phone. 

We had a sleepover the night before she got married.  I stayed with her in their new apartment. We laughed and talked and made a breakfast casserole together to share the next morning. Her wedding day.  I took her to her hair appointment and then went back to mom's to get ready.  Then I went back to hers to help her get dressed, put her makeup on etc. Happy memories. 

 

 

Maryn was her flower girl and she is a big girl of 10 now. Time flies when you are having fun. 

 

This was a photo of myself and my two girls taken on the day. Hard to believe  . . .  

 

 

And this was all the girls, including mom. Mom was always such a sharp dresser.  She always had her hair done and looked immaculate.  It is hard to believe that this year will be the second mother's day we have without her here. 

 

This was the day after Eileen's wedding.  It was mom's 80th birthday.  My brother and I gave her a party at the Big Scoop restaurant in town and everyone came, even my ex and his wife. He was always like another son to mom. He'd been a part of our family since he was our paper boy way back when.  This is mom with her friends Will (on the left) and Cecile (on the right).  Will was always a great friend to mom and still calls my sister from time to time.  Her husband had been my math teacher in grades 8 and 9.  One of the best teachers I had. He was willing to tutor me extra hours.  I have always been hopeless at math and still am.

Good with words, bad with figures.  That's me! We all have our strengths and weaknesses.

 

This was a photograph of Doug and I taken that same trip. I never thought we looked that much alike, but I can see some similarities now, and not just the girth. We have the same smiles and chins. 

 

That was actually a nice trip that year that we came home to Eileen's wedding. I got to see all of my family with the exception of my sister and my father, neither of whom could be there.  We re making up for it now though! 

  

I was looking back at some of my earliest food photographs this morning. They are all laughingly appalling.  haha. I can't believe I thought they were any good and that I actually posted them.  This was Boeuf Aux Carrots.   Very delicious, but look at that photograph. haha.  

 

This was a photo I took of one of the first courses from when I was cooking for a dinner party at the Manor.  Smoked salmon tartare with crisp toasts, etc. 

 

And this was the rack of lamb I had cooked for that same party. If I recall correctly it had a bread crumb crust. Not hard to remember though as it is all there in this horrible photo, lol.

 

Another time, duck breasts in a red wine reduction with rice pilaf and a red cabbage. This was a weeknight supper for them. 

 

 

Celeriac soup with little cheese muffins for one of her luncheons . . . 

 

The table setting I did for that same luncheon.  Oh what a pleasure it was to be able to work with such fine things.  It was good experience as well.   

 

 

Quail's egg appetizer . . . they were always done in the same way. On the same platter on a bed of lettuce with that minging bird's nest in the center holding a small dish of seasoning salt. That's how she wanted it. 

 

 

Sun dried tomato and feta frittata squares  . . .  an appetizer . . . 

 

Lemon Souffle Cakes on a bed of raspberry coulis. 

 

Artichoke bites  . . . 

I did a lot when you come to think of it.  I really did get to stretch my abilities and cook a lot of different things.

In any case its getting late now and you are probably bored from seeing bad photos of good food, etc.  Happy May day!  I will leave you with a thought for the day  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

May every sunrise give you hope.

May every sunset give you peace.

•。★★ 。* 。•。★★ 。* 。 

 

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Banana Bread Crumb Cake. One word. Delicious!

Have a lovely Saturday!  Whatever you get up to don't forget! 

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And I do too!