saturday dinner and an unexpected update

we had a late dinner tonight as i didn't get started on making this vegetarian shepherd's pie until evening. it came out well though and we really liked it. it was a martha stewart recipe . . lentils, an onion, carrots, celery, cremini mushrooms, worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and green peas with the obligatory mashed potato topping.

i think they were talking about the ice cream chanda found on sale at the local market (gourmet garage) . . ben and jerry's caramel toffee.

i finally made it to the green market this morning (i haven't been in months!) and ran into kendall and aurélien (which i had a feeling would happen). aurélien was very excited about all the budding plants and made sure to show me the snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils and other buds popping up in the park. i bought fish (tuna and scallops), apples, apple granola, cider, an olive ciabatta, a muffin, chocolate croissant and a strawberry rhubarb pie. we certainly have plenty of goodies for the next few days.

veronica (harley's mom) was visiting morgan and harley and they were walking around where we will be staying in july for the wedding. oh, that is a bit of news i don't think i ever mentioned, that morgan and harley have set a wedding day in july and we've been having fun making plans (food, music, venue, wedding favors, etc) . . it's exciting and we're very happy for them. other news? i think i mentioned that korrina changed jobs. that was a big deal. she loves her new place. she's with a friend from river park (the place that closed during covid). she really enjoyed working at the wine bar, but a change for her was due. now she's once again cooking italian food and working in a slightly bigger kitchen. the other news i never mentioned is that we went through a difficult time during the fall because in the summer we found out that greg's mom had stage four cancer (in the stomach that went into the liver). the five of us managed to visit her all together in late september, early october while she was still feeling well. it was a very special visit. she passed a day or so after thanksgiving. greg had flown down about two weeks prior so he could be with her and his brother and sister. it was hard to write about. i felt so overwhelmed with emotion . . terrified of losing my mother-in-law, and missing my mother so much. being without one's parents on earth is . . sad. that's all. just sad. well, losing any family member or close friend is sad, isn't it. we all have wonderful memories and they are in our hearts . . but it's just difficult . . and sad.

i do have beautiful photos of the florida visit. i hope i post them in the next week or so. 

here's a beautiful london sky  . . 

and a beautiful london park . . 

i think spring is just a week or so ahead of us there.