dinner with Marie and Mark

Ah, family. I've had quite a week of family. A lot of family. Parents and siblings, and not even all of them. At least we all play nicely together.

Having spent some time with Dad on the Sunshine Coast, it fell to me to report back to the siblings in Vancouver: Marie and Mark. And what better place to do so than over dinner at a restaurant. I picked up Marie from her office on Friday afternoon, we wandered into a few stores, and ended up a little early for our 6:00 reservation at So.cial at Le Magasin.

I'm not entirely sure what to make of the restaurant. For starters, I think Friday was the worst day (so far) of the cold (I hope) I'm getting over. My senses of smell and taste were not 100%, though I wasn't so stuffed up as to have neither working. Based on that, though, I'm not sure I have the best notion of how the food was. I didn't taste what Mark and Marie had (they ordered the same item, the salmon), and we opted not to have dessert.

I'm also a little concerned by the relative emptiness of the restaurant. Yes, we dined early, but not horribly early. By the time we left at 7:30, the place still had many empty tables. Why? That always makes me wonder a little.

It's an attractive space, convenient to the increasingly funky/still touristy Gastown businesses. The people-watching from our window table was great. The name drives me a little nuts, though. Why the period? WHY? Just odd to me.

Finally, service was a little wonky. Friendly, to be sure, but not on the mark. The one waitress seemed slightly - only slightly - overwhelmed at times, and Marie's post-dinner decaf never appeared.

I'd like to go back, with full sense of smell and taste. I liked the wine list (we went with a bottle of unoaked Joie Chardonnay), and the menu itself. My dinner of scallops was served a little lukewarm, but I thought it was very tasty (and if I could taste it with a cold, then doesn't that argue that the food was, in fact, quite flavourful?). There were a number of options on the menu that caught my eye, and I think just going for wine and small plates, like the charcuterie we shared to start with, would be a lot of fun. Maybe on the next visit as a casual dinner I'll convince Conrad to do that. I just don't think Friday's meal was an accurate reflection of what the restaurant is, thanks mostly to me being under the weather. There was promise in what we had, and that's worth pursuing, I think.

Allison and Sean's wedding reception

A last posting about Allison and Sean's wedding two weeks ago, then, on this sunny October Sunday morning. Hmmm. Maybe I should run to Starbucks before continuing...

OK, grande misto in hand, let's go!

Allison and Sean had an inspired venue for the reception, given their love for movies: the Eglinton Grand. There was ample space for seating, for a terrific slide presentation at the front, and for dancing. Ah, dancing. More on that later.

The reception moved along quickly. Too quickly, it felt. Sorry, not a criticism, just the feeling that it was a wonderful night, and so time moved far too fast for our liking. Mark, one of the groomsmen, did a fantastic job of MCing the event, we dined well (but only took a photo of dessert, curiously), the cake was cut, and soon it was nine-ish and time for music. Among the first dances was Allison's waltz with her dad (loved his Scottish regalia!), and then the rest of us took over.
No comments, please, on our stunning choreography.

Here's the amazing thing. In seven years together, Conrad and I had never been dancing. Never. Well, OK, I lie slightly. We occasionally get silly and romantic and dance together in the comfort of our living room, slow dancing and holding each other as a soft song plays some nights when we've had just the right about of wine and winking at each other. It's a true mark of how much Conrad enjoyed the wedding and felt comfortable with the surroundings that I got him on the dance floor several times, easily, for fast and slow songs. Maybe that's why the night ended too soon for my liking. We had other willing partners, too. Fun all around.

Our table was the bridesmaids' table, and we had a great evening with Brenda, Nikki (and her husband Steve, who was a terrific guy to chat with and even dance with), Nina, and Portia. We also wandered over to other tables to chat with Marie and some of the Montrealers I knew. I hated that midnight eventually came.

We're grateful to Allison and Sean for having invited us to share in the celebration. I'm a true western Canadian, so I can never bring myself to like Toronto itself, but I can certainly love spending time with such good friends there.

And now, if ever Conrad and I marry, we have some high standards to meet for providing our friends with a good time.

Sunshine Coast trip wind down

Hmmm.... Time enough for one last, quick post before heading to the gate.

Two days ago I took Dad and Bella down to Gibsons so that they could take care of a few errands and so that we could have lunch there. Our first and second choices were not open, so we ended up enjoying the sunny October lunchtime at the Waterfront Cafe, admiring the view. Truly, the weather for my visit with Dad could not have been better. The Sunshine Coast is getting a great autumn for one week, at least.

I drove back to Vancouver yesterday. I was sorry to have to go. It's been a good visit for Dad, and I shouldn't want to take that for granted. The Sunshine Coast is no longer the same as when we visited my grandmother at her home there every summer when we were young, but it remains a handsome place. Davis Bay, just outside Sechelt, lured me to stop and take a few photos.



I stopped in Gibsons for coffee since I was so ridiculously early for the ferry. I also wanted to drop into a bookstore near Molly's Reach. It, too, was closed (is everything in Gibsons closed??), so I wandered briefly and took a photo of Nick Adonidas' boat. We all know our Beachcombers, right?

Lunchtime, one day after dining with Dad in Gibsons, I was aboard the ferry. I felt a little restless reading, and ended up going to an outer deck and taking a few photos.
Clouds had drawn in - we'd get light light sprinkles in Vancouver. In under an hour, the Sunshine Coast was tucked back in my memory for another few months.

after the ceremony

Gosh, how long ago did Allison and Sean get married? Two weeks almost? Time flies when you're at work and then on the west coast visiting family.

I have 3/4 of an hour until boarding my plane here in Vancouver, so time enough to catch up on the wedding weekend photos. After the ceremony, of course, come the photos. The couple, their families, the wedding party. It's been some 16 years since I was in a cousin's wedding party, the only other time ever, so I'd forgotten how much goes into the process. Conrad bore it well, I'm glad to say, boring as it must have been despite the lovely day out. He caught a number of group and individual shots as well.

I have to say, I loved the colours Allison and Sean chose for the wedding party. Green is not easy for everyone, but it worked. Brenda was especially gorgeous, but I know I'm biased from having known and adored her for several years now.

Onwards with photos:

The couple with Allison's family. Allison's mother, Isobel, is in the blue dress while her father, Louis, is kilted on the end. The other family members had come from as far as Scotland and Dallas. I had such a fun time chatting with her Auntie Kathy. Or is that Cathy?

The wedding party awaits its turn. The ladies' shoes were not handling the soft, damp ground well for all they looked great.

Sean with his mother, Phyllis; his father, Ted; and his brother, Mark, a groomsman.

Allison with Marie, a close friend who did a reading during the ceremony. Marie is one of the several friends I'd heard about many many times over the ten years I've known Allison, and I was so glad to meet her and the others instead of knowing them by personality traits or activities. Take Marie, for example: no longer will she simply be a fellow Kevin enthusiast.

The musicians played on a little while. Well, for photo ops, at least.

The wedding party in full.

Allison with her bridesmaids: Nina, Janet (matron of honour), Portia, Brenda (see? gorgeous!), and Nikki. More names I've long known, now better known to me as faces and enjoyable dinner company. More on that in the last wedding post whenever I get to that.

You know, I've known Allison since we started library school together in 1998. Ten years. Her birthday was the first month, so I baked white chocolate chip cookies for her and brought them in to class that day. A month later we were neighbours in the same, small apartment block. I kind of miss the contented simplicity of those days.

Groomsmen and Sean: Mark (Sean's brother), Tom (his cousin), Mark (yes, another one - he gave me and Conrad rides to and from the ceremony, and he was a hoot to chat with), and Kevin (the best man). Good group of guys. I was a little nervous about fitting in, but that was groundless fear. They were all great to chat with and get to know a little. And we all looked great, you gotta admit.

One last vanity shot of me. Well, for this entry. Goodness knows my vanity is otherwise limitless.

25 minutes to boarding...

Nyquil-ed up

I can't stay up too much longer. Tomorrow I'll have an early flight, and I have to get gas, return the car, and be checked in extra early for international travel. And I'm doped up on Nyquil. Bloody cold. GAH!

I shan't say much here, alas. Maybe when I have more energy in the morning. For tonight - because I would bet Dad will read this - the name of our restaurant for dinner tonight: So.cial at le Magasin. Also, a photo of two of his children (Mark and Marie).

I'm taking my medicated self off to bed. Blogging can wait...

time spent at Dad's

Family business brings me to the Sunshine Coast. I've been blessed with some fine weather, happily. Since childhood days of visiting my Grandma here, I've been very fond of this part of the province. Check out the photos and understand why:

The Rock Water Secret Cove resort, not too far from where Dad lives. I'm staying here. Quiet in the off season... ... and some nice rooms. We'll have to consider this for future trips to see Dad. The waterfront is an appealing little cove, and I took a few photos before settling down with a book in the late morning sun.


The area is thick with blackberry brambles. They're a weed, really, though one with delectable fruit. These berries didn't make the harvest. I tried one, and small wonder - too long on the bush exposed to rain - watery and sour.

Dad, on the no-longer-used dock at Irvine's Landing.


Dad inherited the house at Pender Harbour from my Grandma. I spent many summer vacations there as a child, and I still see the old house in the much-changed, renovated one Dad and his family live in. He may not have sandy beach, but he does have 350 feet of waterfront, which yields lovely view toward Texada Island both in the daytimeand especially when the sun is setting over that way.

birthday

Conrad, in 2002, tries to take flight. It worked, happily - he's made yet another birthday today.

Happy birthday Handsome! I'm sorry I can't be celebrating with you.

cool moon

One last quickie before bed. Conrad has the "good" camera (now there's something we really should treat ourselves to. Before the NZ trip, for sure!) in Hawaii, so I'm using the older, not so good camera tonight. Fuzzy as the shot is, it was just a cool-looking moon out there. Yellow, verging on orange. Not full, but bright, and rising to the northeast, so I was able to catch sight of it between neighbouring buildings as it rose over the lake. The camera does it a disservice - it was brighter and bigger than this.

last weekend's wedding, part 1ish

Part 1ish only because I've posted some things already. Many photos remain, however, and such a lovely day deserves more mention. So, reaching waaaay back in my decrepit, 38 year-old memory to last Sunday...

The ceremony took place out at UT Scarborough, at Miller Lash House.

We couldn't have asked for better weather, and Allison and Sean certainly picked a handsome setting. The house was useful for the bridal party and the groom to be sequestered separately until the ceremony. The grounds, meanwhile, were stunning, and Darth's friend David (was he there? If so, I regret not meeting him) had provided some lovely flowers.
Yes, we could hear activity on nearby tennis courts, but no matter. It was wonderful.

Sean, his brother Mark, and his cousin Tom had driven over in their restored cars. I'm not a car person. Dad will read this and laugh because I just don't know one vehicle from another. Red, green, blue, whatever. But still, I can appreciate that the guys had taken such care to restore some older vehicles, and they were a cool addition to the wedding.

The groomsmen weren't there too long before the bride arrived, so we scattered quickly to take care of some last minute things. While Sean and his best man, Kevin, remained inside, the rest of us groomsmen began guiding guests to the seats.
A couple of musicians played gently (and a bagpiper sounded the start of the bridal procession - Allison is a good Scottish lass. Daniel, if you read this, that's Scottish, not Scotch). The officiant greeted the guests and laid down a few ground rules, or something like that.
With humour, of course. He performed the ceremony with great good humour, all in all. Can't you tell: look at the groomsmen.
Oh, there were solemn moments, deeply emotional points that had us attentive. But we laughed a lot, too.

Conrad sat out among the guests and enjoyed the ceremony from there. The bridesmaids came in (look how lovely Brenda is), and before you knew it, we had newlyweds on our hands and the wedding party was heading back up the slope we'd first come down. The first part was over, and it went very well indeed.

buttermilk, transformed

You gotta be careful what you ask for sometimes, right?

I'll be meeting Mark soon for a bite of brunch before he heads back down to the cornfields of Urbana. He had joking (or maybe not) about having me make scones for him, so...



Yes, I've been busy this morning.

A liter of buttermilk makes 4 batches of Karen Barnaby's recipe. Four batches means four variations, and so I had fun. From left to right (more or less):

Dried apricot
Golden raisin and candied ginger nibs
Dried sour cherry and bittersweet chocolate chunks
White chocolate chunk, pine nut, and dried orange zest

Best of all, no buttermilk leftover and ultimately tossed out while I'm in BC in the week ahead. Hooray. I hate food wastage.

I have cookies on the go to finish up my baking for the morning. Now to pick out the pretty scones to bring to Mark when we meet at Yoshi's...

7

I don't think Conrad looks at my blog too often, not even when he's out of town for work (as he is right now - yes, Honolulu again).

Just the same though, in case he is reading:

Happy Anniversary SB. I love you, you wonderful, handsome man, you. Seven years. Seven very happy years. thank you.

yes, yes, yes - but how did I look?

Last night I gave due to Allison and Sean. This morning my vanity takes over. How did I look? Frankly, I looked mighty good.

A tuxedo helps, of course. As some of my colleagues have told me, I clean up well. I'm not sure what that says about me the rest of the time.

Conrad? He looked very fine as well. Just imagine how he might look on our own wedding day. Sorry, that's mere speculation. I have nothing to announce. Yet.

;-)

a few wedding photos before bed

I've been lazy this week. No, scratch that. Other than one frantic night of making travel plans for next week, and one night devoted to the season finale of Project Runway, I've been lazy. Believe me, I had every good intention of posting wedding photos earlier this week. Sorry.

I won't say too much in this post save for this:

Allison was gorgeous.
Sean was handsome.
They are very much in love and well suited for each other.

Can you ask for more?

I'll post photos of others tomorrow or Sunday. My lazy post for tonight, though, is all about Allison and Sean, happily married (and still honeymooning in the Rockies, I think).

The bride before the wedding.

Vows.

Signing the documents.

Newlyweds.


This is how Allison ALWAYS is in my mind's eye: happily laughing.

More laughter.

A kiss for the photographer, and not the last kiss at that!

With Sean's restored '68 Mustang.

Outside the reception hall, formerly a cinema.

First dance.

quick dispatch, post-wedding

I've barely begun looking at the 266 photos we (Conrad) took at the wedding and reception yesterday. Expect photos on the blog later today and this week. For now, while I sit at Pearson International awaiting my flight back to Chicago, I offer you this shot taken as we left the reception just after midnight last night. Allison and Sean had a wonderful movie theme they executed magnificently. What a fun night!

rehearsal dinner

Oh gosh, not much to report here. Just read into this post the ever-growing anticipation of the wedding this afternoon. The skies are clear, blue, and sunny over Toronto; the temperature is pleasant. Allison and Sean have a wonderful day before them in so many ways.

Last night, the happy couple gathered the wedding party (and in case it wasn't clear, I'm one of the groomsmen) and immediate family together at Spring Rolls on Eglinton for dinner. Conrad and I got to see Brenda (YAY!) for the first time in a few years. I got to see Allison's parents for the first time in even longer. We got to meet a number of the people (like Marie, whom we shared some wine with at the hotel last night) I've heard so much about for so long, as well as meeting Sean's family. Instructions received, gifts given to us (a digital image frame - I have ideas for it in the front foyer - cool gift!). And a fun, easy, casual dinner wherein we got to chat with a whole lot of people. And Brenda got the toast she wanted.

We have a few hours yet before we leave for the wedding. I think Conrad and I will go for a walk just to get some nice down time together. In the meantime, photos from last night...

Brenda and me.

Sean's cousin's wife, Fiona, and his mother, Phyllis.

Fiona, Phyllis, Conrad, Nina, Janet (the matron of honour).

Percy and Portia.

Allison's mother, her Aunty Kathy (Cathy?), and Marie.

Sean's brother Mark, Mark's girlfriend Donna, and Allison's cousin Rina (Reena? - we needed name tags last night, in retrospect).

The groomsmen receive gifts: me, Kevin (the best man), Tom (Sean's cousin), and Mark (another Mark).

Brenda and I with our gifts.

Opening the gift.

Brenda shows me her gift.

Jewelry for the bridesmaids.

Brenda and Sean.

Sean's parents, Ted and Phyllis.

Sean and his best man, Kevin.

Allison, with me, in a stunning dress.

Conrad and me.

a lovely dinner in TO

We're not sure if Allison or her friend Marie or anyone else will stop by the room before bedtime for a nightcap. We have a bottle of Pinot Noir we're glad to share, but who knows. If not, then we'll keep it corked and turn in for a good long night of sleep. We have a busy day of wedding tomorrow. Fun!

Last night we dined with Liza and Steve. In case you're not keeping track, Liza is an old schoolmate from Terrace; Steve is her handsome, friendly husband. We met at North 44, just a short stroll up Yonge from the Eglinton stop at 6:30, and settled in for a very good, leisurely meal.

I love restaurants where I am so very torn between menu items because I see so many key ingredients mentioned and that I love greatly. It was tough ordering, for that reason, but oh so easy to dine. We didn't force Liza and Steve to take photos of their meals, so only mine and Conrad's are shown here.

We shared a bottle of the restaurant's own private label unoaked Niagara Chardonnay to start with. You know, I don't know Ontario wines well, and the ones I've had (including the ghastly Baco Noir at the hotel lounge on Thursday night) have not been nearly so good as BC wines. I still think BC is better - chauvinism to some degree, I know. We did fine with our Ontario wines last night, though.

My appetizer: Pork belly "Confit" with kale, crackle, and pan drippings. Mmmm, pork. See Dad? I had MORE pork.

Conrad's appetizer: Caramelized curry scallops with okra and coriander chimmichuri. He said they were good. We playfully did not share our food with each other.

With dinner we switched to an Ontario Pinot Noir, the Hardie, from Prince Edward County. I liked this wine as well, and I'm sorry I couldn't find it in the LCBO store we popped into today.

My meal: Duckling "Three Ways" with crisp confit, pink breast, and seared foie gras with soubise, natural juices, and spiced apple. Another outstanding dish.

Conrad's meal: Fresh Dover sole roasted with caper berries, lemon, and chives. Before I knew it, his plate was clean.

Of course we had dessert. Well, Conrad did: Chocolate3 (imagine that 3 as a superscript, as in chocolate cubed). A trio of bittersweet chocolate banana cloud, milk chocolate phyllo cheesecake, spiced hot chocolate shooter. All of us agreed that the shooter smelled wonderful but was not as tasty as we'd like. I just don't care for hot spices and chocolate, I admit.

(Just back from sharing a bottle of Pinot Noir with Allison and her friend Marie. It's after midnight here, which means the wedding is later today.)

I had cheeses instead of dessert: Vieux Bruges, Delice de Bourgogne, Bleu L'Etoile, and Le Grand Manitou. If pressed, I would say the Delice was my favourite. I was a little daunted by how generous the portions of cheese were, and Conrad got a nice share of my plate.

In fact, generosity of serving was an interesting quality of dinner. North 44 is not cheap (and thank you Liza and Steve for treating us), but the portions were fine. Come dessert, the portions were a little much. Liza and Steve ordered the dessert platter for two (or more, as it was listed). We think that it was suitable for six. So much dessert, far too much. Almost a bit of a mess on the plate, but tasty, yes.

And then some little treats to cap the night!

All in all, it was a lovely meal, spanning 3 and a half relaxing hours. Our turn next time for treating Liza and Steve, and we hope we might have an opportunity to do so in Chicago.

countdown is on

You know, if I were truly as cheesy as I mock myself for, I'd have titled this posting "The Final Countdown" and launched into some emulation of the Europe song. Sometimes, rarely, I have a little more taste/class/discretion than might be believed. Happily.

I know, I know. I said I was going to bed after one short post. Conrad is still clicking away through the Internet and work mail though, so I figure I may as well quickly post other photos that don't need much narrative.

The lovely woman with us is Allison. Less than 48 hours from now, she'll be a missus. Married. Contentedly. Conrad and I are thrilled to be in town for her wedding to Sean. Allison is such a marvelous friend and has been now for ten years, since library school. At one point we lived two floors apart in a small building. She came to my place for heat in the winter; I went to hers for television. We bonded over Britpop and movies and have remained dear friends since. Conrad also adores her. So we're delighted to come see her in any case, and especially as she begins married life.

We grabbed lunch with her today.


On this busiest of weekends (Thanksgiving weekend, for any American readers), we won't get much alone time with her and Sean. He couldn't make it today, alas, but we did meet up with Allison at Richtree. She and I have a long history of satisfying my maple syrup addiction by means of the ultra-light waffles made to order there. Lunch today, not breakfast, but a place of good memories for us anyway.






She looks gorgeous, doesn't she? All aglow. Less then 48 hours, less than 48 hours...

swinging

Hey baby, care to trip the light fantastic before I take you home and show you some of my etchings?



The perfect touch to go with my cheesy little grins, no?

A fine sunny day in Toronto capped by a lovely dinner I'm too lazy to fully blog tonight. For now just a photo from tuxedo fitting today. Hmmm. Should I get my chest waxed before the wedding?

;-)

pork and lentils

Yes, Dad (if you're reading this), we had pork tonight. May that make you giggle at least a little.

One of my favourite old restaurant recipes is for a side dish of lentils prepared according to a recipe in a cookbook by John Bishop. [Side note: I've yet to make it to his restaurant. I really should one day.] Cumin stewed lentils.

Tasty as all get out. Fragrant beyond words. Necessary to close the doors to the other rooms because otherwise we'll go to bed smelling it in our room and wake up to find that all our clothes and furniture in the bedroom have a subtle reek of cumin and curry. All good things come at a price, right?

The lentils served as the bed on which I parked slices of pork tenderloin. I seasoned the meat very simply and tossed it in a hot oven. I even rested it afterwards, resulting in decently juicy meat. Well done Peter.

The other accompaniments were some simply cooked Brussels sprouts and dried Rainier and sour Michigan cherries plumped in Venturi-Schulze balsamic vinegar and a bit of petite sirah. We sipped some of the (overly oaky) red wine with the meal, and had a relaxing little meal of it.

And now, friends, I'm listening to the Christmas music I downloaded from iTunes. Hey, it's October - that's not too early.

small treasures, stumbled upon

So there we were last Friday, driving up to Marquette and some other, nearby UP towns, hunting for Russel Wright ware and other interesting collectibles. Conrad, his sister Karen, and I - packed in a car, enjoying the magnificent colours of the UP. No rush, driving along and catching up.

En route, we thought we'd pop into Trenary and find the bakery, perhaps buy some toast there. We did find Trenary. We didn't find the bakery. No worries. We drove on.

By this point, though, we kind of wanted coffee again. Marquette was a little ways off still, so we detoured a little more at the sight of a sign for an organic store and cafe. 6 miles later, we were at Lily's of Traunik.

What a great little place. Good coffee and a good chat with the owner, some fun browsing about the shelves. Some good products there, and cheaper than in Chicago in some cases. We didn't mind the delay. Contained within a heritage building, it's a special place in that part of the UP. We hope it will have a successful future. For coffee, at least, we'll try to drop in on future trips up north.

That wasn't the only delightful place we visited, though Karen was familiar with this other one. Midtown Bakery and Cafe is a cheery place in a small town that has seen better days. If only the entire downtown of Negaunee could be so vivid, colourful, vital, and inviting. I will say that we found some nice collectibles in the town, but I especially liked having a bit of lunch in this cheery place. And ah, the cakes were tempting. We resisted, I am sorry to say.

Conrad's hometown has not done well in recent years. Much history and civic pride work to its advantage, but economic trends have not. The downtown is mostly deserted, life seems to take place in the big box stores. It's a shame because Escanaba is itself a small treasure. Sunday morning I was up before everyone, so I strolled over to a newer coffee shop on Ludington (the main street in town) and took a few photos along the way. In the gentle morning light, everything looks wonderful, even the sore thumb of an apartment complex that constitutes the Escanaba skyline. Or the derelict ship parked just near the city hall and library. Speaking of libraries, Escanaba has an old Carnegie library building, now in private hands awaiting a future as a home for someone. It's great that the building survives even if the public will no longer have its use as their own. Escanaba, though, is a lovely town. It's Americana, or what I think of as Americana. I should take a series of photos of the homes on Lakeshore Drive and the areas nearby. In a different reality, I'd almost crave one and a quiet, small-town lifestyle. Oh, and the autumn colours were beginning to show about the tranquil streets in the neighbourhood. Later, before we left, we had breakfast at the Swedish Pantry (Swedish pancakes with lingonberry - mmm), and the town seemed to have woken up some as well.

Escanaba is not a foodie's paradise. I think most anyone there should admit that, and no shame in it. Conrad and want food done well, fancy is not important. So I'll amend myself. Escanaba is not a place to get fancy food. We can - and did - eat well, though. The Stonehouse is his mother's favourite place, and we've enjoyed meals there on the past couple of trips. You know what? It's pretty good. Oh, yes, I've had things plated better, and I've had more exotic ingredients. Just the same, though, the three fish on my Great Lakes platter (walleye, perch, and especially the whitefish) were prepared very correctly indeed, and I didn't even bother to squeeze on lemon, so tasty was the fresh fish in and of itself. The wine list had a nice NZ Savvy by the glass, further happiness for me. Our food shots turned out poorly, and Karen escaped being photographed, but she and I and Conrad, Conrad's brother-in-law Terry, and his nephew Dan and Dan's girlfriend Jamie all had a fine time together.

I think Conrad and I have got to a point of deeper liking and appreciation for what the UP visits offer. We think we'll next be up that way a couple of months from now, and it's kind of neat thinking of the variety of possible activities we can take part in. Three visits in three months now, and all have left us very glad to have gone.

wouldn't this look great in any kitchen?

Conrad and I got this out of Karen's truck and into her house yesterday. It's a biggie, isn't it? A mortar and pestle she found at an estate sale. That, my friends, is a marble mortar. Heavy, I promise you.



But goodness, just think of the kitchen fun you could have with something like that...

quick shots: autumn in the UP

Somehow we're managing to freeload some wireless service here at Conrad's Mom's place. I'm not questioning how, nor am I complaining. I'm just going to quickly post some photos of autumn foliage in the UP. On our drive up to Marquette and thereabouts today, with Conrad's sister Karen, we saw some brilliant autumn colours splashed in among the green. The farther north we went, the hillier and more autumnal the scenery was. What a pity that taking photos from the back seat of a moving car doesn't do it all much justice. Ah well.

For tonight: fall in the Upper Peninsula. Good night!