Lunch with Friends

Yesterday I had lunch with friends. These are the ladies I go to the opera with every month and we occasionally get together inbetween times. I met them through work. We're all British and over the last five years have become very close. Carol who is Scottish invited us to her place and she put on a really delicious meal. She has a lovely home and was very gracious in allowing me to take a few photos. I didn't feel too intrusive as her husband Don was taking photos also. I asked if he felt a little outnumbered. He kept in the background but popped in every now and again to help clear up dishes and I could hear him washing up while Carol stayed with us. What a super man! His jokes about overhearing the subjects we were talking about were very funny. I told him he would just have to put his hands over his ears. We told him to come and join us but he stayed well clear, smart man!

Their fireplace was roaring. It felt very cozy sitting next to it.

I loved the reflection of the lamp in the mirror.

Carol has a collection of dolls and one of them was in this lovely cradle. It's actually a reproduction made by a lady she met at a craft fair a few years before. It's a very solid and beautifully made piece. I wish I had taken a better angle.

The dining table was set beautifully but before we sat down we talked while sipping on Formosa's and nibbling on fresh strawberries, cheese straws and a spinach mixture wrapped in phyllo dough.

Of course I had to take a photo of her flower arrangement, and even though it was cold and rainy outside it was very spring-like inside.

Here we are, left to right: Kathy, Me, Hazel, Anne, Jackie and Carol.

Our sumptuous meal, leg of lamb, roasted asparagus, a corn casserole, potatoes, mint sauce and port wine gravy.

I had to go back for the port wine gravy.

Dessert was a poached pear with raspberry sorbet and raspberry sauce. We were all taking mental notes and asking questions about the whole meal.

This is Anne. I was trying for an 'artsy' shot.

I saved the Chickadee nest!!! Yes I am patting myself on the back but I noticed movement on this tree stump outside. As everyone was chatting I saw this very active little Chickadee and the more I looked the more interested I became. This little bird was inside a hole in the stump and when he came out he had what looked like bits of frayed wood in its beak. He was making a hole for a nest and all throughout the meal he would fly off but come back again. I didn't know Chickadees built nests in the trunk of trees. I thought that was a woodpecker's job. The tree was going to be cut down by Don the next day as it is a dead tree but now Carol won't let him and she thanked me profusely for noticing what was going on. I got a look from Don but it was all in jest as he wouldn't cut it down knowing there would be a new family taking up residence next to their window. I didn't have my close-up camera but you can just see the busy home-maker on the top of the trunk in the middle of the picture.

We had a great time and left after finishing off with coffee and biscotti. I ate so much that I didn't have to have dinner that evening. I waddled out of Carol's like a penguin saying to myself that Monday is coming and that's my reminder to 'be good'.