The Weekend

Happiness and perfection breeds laziness. I have been lazy.

All week long the weather has been glorious. I now know what is meant by an English Spring. I am nervous for what an English summer will bring!

We have been planning our building project on the new house and have met with two builders this week. One very expensive, well known for quality work, and their higher prices. The other, a smaller individual business, quality work, and lower prices. We will have to some of the buying ourselves, but this is good. I am looking forward to picking out bathroom and kitchen tiles, fixtures and flooring!

Enough about the week, onto the weekend!

Friday was Zelda's first day of April break from school. We had a mommy daughter day. WE made a broom stick out of a long paper tube and rolled newspaper that was cut on the ends. This was after watching Bed knobs and Broomsticks! We had story telling by Zelda on her bed with every single stuffed toy she owns...took about 30 minutes! We painted pictures outside in the garden. Ate fruit and cheese platters, played with the doll house, read stories and of course snuggled.

In the evening I made a date nite dinner of turkey scallopine, wild brown rice with peas and carrots. Zelda ate the same earlier and loved it! We loved it too.

Saturday morning Zelda came into the room happy as a clam! All day she was bright eyed and bushy tailed. she made out bed. She dressed herself, and put away her clothes. She helped make breakfast and clear up. She was very proud of her achievements. We had swimming lessons at 10:30 and afterwards we went to the Gala to see the new Winnie the Poo movie. We walked home and by the time we arrived it was 4pm!

We all had dinner together. I made Broom House Farms fresh ground Angus Steak burgers with mashed potato and peas, carrots and broccoli. We read, snuggled and Zelda fell asleep in 10 minutes! We followed shortly afterwards.

This morning I woke at 5:45am. My brain would not shut off and I could not sleep. Pre Passover jitters! I am cooking for 15 people, 6 or which are children! All of which are new friends we have recently met, plus my brother in law, his wife and their two boys.

No shower, just two coffees and I was and running to make the brisket. I cooked it with red wine, port, prunes, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, thyme, orange peel, carrots, onions, celery and veggie stock. I made chopped liver with cognac and the tradition charoseth with apples, walnuts, cranberries, raisins, red wine, Ginger and orange juice. Tomorrow there will be more to make. The Seder is Tuesday.

By 12 noon I was finished! We ate a late breakfast and then hung out in the garden. The hubby and Zelda cleaned it up, he mended Zelda's bike and she rode it around the street. Zelda being the friendly girl thatshe is, called through the fence to the neighbor " HELLO" several times, before the hard of hearing neighbor acknowledged her! She ran across the street to the neighbors, like a cat that had been cooped up inside for days to " play " with them. I had to drag her home as they English are so polite, they would never evict her even though they wanted to eat their dinner! This is definitely the American in her!! Just perfect!!

We all stayed in the garden until around 7:15 then came into snuggle a a bit. Zelda went to bed late, but fell asleep quickly.

I feel once again eternally grateful for the life I lead, for the love I have and the family I share it all with.