The Party is over, I know. Just a few more fun pics! Then it will be out of my system.

If anyone comes up with any funny captions for any of these please let me know. My well is dry.

Tony and his women

This has got to be the funniest picture of Melissa ever!

Jennifer takes a knee

Emmy couldn't be cuter

How did this one get in here? watch out for Laine and Jen - hot hot hot

Tony and hostess Muffin Face

of course we were all happy to see Nene (I think she left her phone at home)

But in the end - he went home with the one who brought him. Good choice Tony!

Erin and Tony's party part 2- The Toasts

Bruce led us off with a beautiful toast to Erin and Tony (and something about Robin's tush)

Next up was Erin herself - with Tony looking on

Then Melissa's touching toast

next was Rusty who spoke beautifully too

and since Henry IV was rained out last night we were lucky enough to have a toast from Grant

Lastly Tony recited his favorite sonnet to his bride to be and there was not a dry eye in the place.

Erin's reaction was priceless.

Stay tuned for more party pics. This was quite a night!

First of many enteries regarding Erin and Tony's Party!

Melissa's crab torte

Melissa's Brie and nuts

Doug's pin wheel yummies

Jackie's chopped liver

Costco's Quiche bites

Shrimp cocktail

Robert's Mini cheesecakes, fruit shortbread, chocolate truffles, and cheese sticks

One of the spreads featuring artichoke, garlic and spinach dip, Thin sliced pork tenderloin, velvety red potato salad, and various others.

Not pictured are cucumber sandwiches, Smoked Gouda and red grapes, Spicy Egyptian dip, veggies and spinach dip, and a rum fruit punch. I am probably forgetting something but you get the picture - there was an obscene amount of food!
Thanks for everyone's help. Many folks that didn't bring food brought wine and/or champagne.

I made sure every so often I took the time to stand in the corner and just watch people enjoying themselves. It does a hostesses heart good to see so many friends having such a good time.

Gearing up for a good time - and lots of food!

Sunday I am hosting an engagement party for a couple of my favorite people! I have a feeling next weeks blog entries will be full of food and drink pictures! I am so excited that so many folks RSVP'd "yes". It is so nice to celebrate something worthwhile - a relationship that actually works! Stay tuned for updates of the weekend planning and cooking adventure. I just hope my apartment is big enough!

Busy Week -So here is a short story I wrote - Comments welcome!

It’s interesting to me that we leave so many places in this life and never get a chance to return. I drove past the Riverview Theatre last weekend. It was all boarded up and looked like it had been in that state for quite some time. 1983, I think it was that year when I first stepped into the Riverview Theatre. When you are 14 you think every building you enter has always been there and will always be there. The lobby was rich in red draperies and the smell was almost spooky. It smelled like an old movie – it smelled like memories in the making. It was smelled like magic. It really stunk. And I loved it. Trailing my father’s soft footsteps, we entered the theatre together on that first day. He had seen an audition notice in the paper and insisted that I audition. I was nervous – I was a teenager in the body of a 30 year old with the mind of a child. I was scared and self conscious on that day, but I smiled and sang while my father proudly watched from the back row. I remember what I sang. I am just too embarrassed to share that part. I sang with a loud and commanding (and most likely slightly off –key voice) but no matter. It was thrilling and I had fun. The theatre itself was truly a continuation of the lobby. In my memory it looks like an old vaudeville joint. Red drapes and the smell and everything else. That was also the day I met Paul Dicklin. Paul was tall – that is the first thing I remember – he was a slender, man of about 40. His eyes were weathered and kind – with just enough sparkle in them to be mysterious. You know that feeling when you meet someone for the first time and you just know it is a significant moment in your life? That is how I felt that day, about the theater and about Paul. Now they are both gone from sight but somehow they are here in my memory almost stronger and grander than they were in life. Passing by that theatre just reminded me that there are some places we don’t have to return to because the best parts are already – and will always be – with us.

Mom is pretty, I am brave

This is after our day of beauty, before our night out. I am wearing NO make-up. It is really scary so just look at my Mom because she isn't that scary. We had a blast and I love our new hair-do's. We went to my friends restaurant opening. The place is called Karsen's and it is in Carytown just a few shops down from Nacho Mama's. It was wonderful. The restaurant itself is just beautiful and HUGE. There is a patio but we were seated in a nice round booth in the corner of the second floor. I had a great Arugula salad and HNS had jalapeno corn fritters and then the rack of lamb. Mom had a salmon salad that looked good (if you like Salmon). Scott and Robin had Duck and Tuna. Everything was good despite the fact that at some point during the evening the restaurant lost it's gas. I don't know how they made it through the rest of the night but all our food was superb.

Separated at Birth?

The top picture is my niece and the bottom picture is Georgie Henley from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe movie. This movie was awesome and almost made me want to read the book but it was strange at first because Georgie, who plays Lucy Pevensie, reminded me so much of my niece, Caroline. You can't really tell in these pics but trust me - I couldn't stop thinking it actually was somehow Caroline. Well, that got me missing her really badly as she lives far away and I don't get to see her as much as I would like too (which would be everyday!) and I miss her parents too. Last time I talked to her on the phone - I think it was New Years- I got so excited I started asking her all sorts of questions to which she finally replied..."(big sigh) I ONLY wanted to say Happy New Year..." (Love her!!) So we are planning a trip to Hotlanta in August. Yeah! And she will have a little baby brother in a few months. I can't wait to hear what she has to say about that.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE ONE WHO MADE ME!!

That's her to the far right. The one we call ma. I love this pic of her. We were walking to the beach for my sissy's wedding. Look how happy she is! We have so much fun together. What some folks don't know about my mother is she is one of the funniest people I have ever met. She loves to tell stories about all her children. Sometimes they really happened - apparently I was naked a lot when I was little.

I do have a vague recollection of running around naked but I swear I never got poison ivy at camp- that was someone else.

But really mom, you did so much for us when we were young:

you mended us when we were scraped

we got a chocolate bar and a Slurpee whenever we had to pick up a prescription

you cooked so many yummy meals (lasagna not withstanding)

you dressed us very well (even if we wore turtlenecks in Miami in July)

you took us fun places (swimming, drive-in movies, refugee picnic's)

and you gave us dimetapp everyday, whether we needed it or not.

...and you put up with a lot of %$&# from me! I love you! See you Saturday Mom for our Day of Beauty!

Success!!!

MMM. Chocolate Bread Pudding you can be proud to serve. Look at them shoveling it in. It has got to be good.

We went to my friend Jenny's house for dinner before seeing Henry IV (or at HNS calls it Henry the 8th) on Saturday Night. Jenny made a great salad with yummy juicy strips of chicken. Erin and Tony brought a beautiful plate of anti-pasta. By the time we were ready for my dessert it was too late to eat it and still catch the play so I made them all grab a spoon and taste it. I was gonna leave the rest for Jenny and her family but she brought it out to my car as we were leaving. hmmm?

So it sat in my car during the play and then we met up with my BFF and Robert at White Dog after the show. HNS had the idea of bringing my pudding into the bar so folks could enjoy it. I am pretty sure their kitchen was already closed and I made sure he asked Roslyn and Barry for permission first. It seemed to be a hit.

After I made the bread pudding this time and saw that after a day of sitting in the fridge it looked like it did before - I poked fork holes in it and added some more melted chocolate on the top. I let that sit for a few hours before I baked it. It was the perfect consistency.