Family Night

Isobel almost never allows her picture to be taken. Pretty!

I have the most awesome family. I'm sure of it. There are a lot of us, but every one is a keeper.

A lot of Sundays, we all gather at Irene (my folks' house) to break bread and catch each other up on life. This past Sunday, my dad's only sister was in town, so the group was slightly bigger with grandparents and all. We had such a lovely feast after which we sat around with our drinks and sang songs like good Irish folk. The guitar went around and boy did we fill that house right up. We sang our own songs, Irish drinking songs, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, Peter Sarstedt.

Those are the good times. I love the feeling of being connected to an amazing group of funny, smart, nice, creative people.

Just One Really Good Day

8:30am I woke up and made coffee. A whole pot because two people. I took a shower and straightened my hair, which I never do. (The kids stayed over with their Godsent grandfolks last night so a mama had time for all this.)

9:45 I sat on the couch and did nothing for a while. What?!

11:00 St. Mary's Catholic Church for high mass. It was lovely and just what I needed.

1:00pm I came home to a mostly clean house thanks to my heathen husband. Seriously, though, thank you!

Then I stopped keeping track of time. We went out for a lunch date to India Palace, our favorite restaurant. We tried to go see a movie, but they wouldn't accept the tickets I donated blood for because Bollywood movies are $15 instead of whatever regular movies cost these days. Yeah, we could've gone to something else, but my own life blood is worth more to me than Hollywood. 

So instead we came home and had more coffee. 

I wore this dress to church:

But not the head scarf or cardigan. 

Then this evening after James got the kids and I put them in bed, I went over to Irene for a glass of wine and Downton Abbey.