Sunday Morning

Well Saturday was a very busy day especially after 5:30 when everyone arrived for supper; but the morning kept me busy. I felt like a chef as I made a huge salad from lots of fresh items from the garden then I pulled and clean a gigantic pot of collards, seasoned them with smoked bacon, onion and some vegetable base and put them on low to cook all day and then got 2 birds really for the smoker. They were the best ever and the pot was literally licked clean. All of that after my quiet time and a lite breakfast of fruit.

Arianne is in town with her fiance Errol and then her mother Dianne flew in from Detroit so they were all going wedding dress shopping taking Nancy,Amy and GG along for their opinions. I was left to get the dinner ready which just required a lot of prep work but I enjoy cooking especially on the smoker. Errol came by and spent the afternoon with me. We chatted from time to time but he mainly worked with his computer as he is very talented music wise. He has 5 music degrees and teaches at 3 universities as well as does gigs and teaches with Arianne in her side job of teaching piano and giving voice lessons to the very rich Cubans in Coral Gables near Miami. He also has a music publishing company.

I really got to know him and while he is some 15 years older than Arianne he is well versed in everyday life and speaks several languages. I informed him of Nancy and ours 10 1/2 years age difference and some of our other friends who have even larger age differences. They are a perfect fit together as both are very out going and love to tell of their journey's together while traveling. He proposed to her on top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France; how romantic and they shared with us after eating last night  the occasion through pictures. It was and hysterical event as he is afraid of heights on top of it being very cold.

We had a house full with Bob's family, Amy's family and of course the out of towners as well as Betsy came after work. All toll we had 15 here. The beer in the rear birds were done to perfection with apple wood and hickory smoke and as I carved them the meat literally fell from the bones. I stuffed them with fresh rosemary, thyme, cilantro and parsley as well as an apple in the cavity and in the steam pan underneath. I smoked them 5 1/2 hours and were they ever delicious; just a few morsels leftover. GG had made 2 large pans of mac and cheese and Amy made broccoli and cauliflower and Nancy made a chocolate with chocolate icing the day before(I passed on the cake). We tasted a bottle of my Pinot Noir and the gals had some Moscato. The kids ate very well and played great together and it was close to 10 before the families left and some of the real talkers were still in the living room after I hit the pillow. Nancy woke me up at 12:30 as she came to bed.

It's always fun to have family occasions and the eatin' was delicious. Arianne found a beautiful wedding dress and now the wedding has been moved to Saturday morning on the 18th of May in Miami. Well that's about it for Saturday as today Sunday is worship day at Element Church in Tampa with son Bobby, LATER