Out to Lunch

  My birthday was this past Friday.  As it sometimes goes with December birthdays, it’s been hard to find time to celebrate my day specifically.  Everyone’s schedule is full--shopping, parties, rehearsals, exams.   So, Friday I took myself shopping, only I didn’t buy anything for myself.  I did get a lot of Christmas shopping finished, and I sampled my way around Costco.  Later in the weekend, I told Mr. T&C that I was making chicken andouille sausage and rice for lunch, and that he would love it.  Having a little fun at his expense, I added, “they served it at my birthday party.”  He gave me a quizzical look.  “You know, they had the crab dip and the pannetone and the baked brie.”  He was squinting hard by this time, trying to remember, wondering if he had somehow missed my birthday party—or worse yet, forgotten to attend it.  I relented, “my birthday party—at Costco—there were a lot of people there I didn’t know.”   Wink.  We had a good chuckle over that!
After church on Sunday, all five of us were able to go to lunch together, and we chose one of my favorite places downtown.  Set in an old cottage, the restaurant is surrounded by beautiful gardens.  I love to go there and sit outside, but Sunday was cold and rainy, so we ate inside where it was delightfully warm and cozy.  Everyone ordered brunch but me, and I had a delicious salad and fresh asparagus and parmesan ravioli.  For dessert, a chocolate lava cake for the table.  It was a lovely birthday lunch.

The Mister and me.

Aren’t these so pretty!  Simple and fresh, but so festive.

I spent the rest of the afternoon by the fire, writing Christmas cards.  In the evening we returned to church for the annual Lessons and Carols, one of my favorite services.  Big had a reading, and Middle did the closing prayer.  The music, all sung by the young people’s choir, was wonderful.  I love seeing those young men and women in choir robes, Levis and duck shoes peeking out, yes, but for a time, they join with the generations before them  and sing of the hope, the promise, the joy of a Savior, of love come down at Christmastime.