weekending

The weekend started at the salon for me. I had a late Friday afternoon appointment and when Kathy offered me a glass of wine, I said yes. I left a couple hours later feeling lighter and brighter. I made a pit stop at Trader Joe's. Who knew 5 o'clock on Friday was a good time to pick up a few things. Always broccolini and wine for me and Orange Chicken for Lils. Staples like nuts and cheese. Mike returned from his week in Texas and we caught up. It was a typical quiet Friday night at Casa Wags. Frozen pizza and a little tv. Curb Your Enthusiasm this week. How am I just now seeing this show?

We slept in on Saturday. I felt a little guilty, but only just a little. We got off for a walk on the sunny day. The wind was as cold as the sun was warm. Spring is coming, but it will take its sweet time getting here. It was so good to get some fresh air. It's been awhile for me.The rest of the day was filled with errands and chores. Then Mike, Lily and I high tailed it to 4:30 mass and any guilt I was carrying from the past week, was absolved. We sat in a pew on the opposite side from our usual one. That change in space and the evening mass felt different. Different in a positive way.

We drove south after church to check out a sweet spot a friend's been raving about for an early dinner. We instantly felt the appeal of Triskele's. It was warm and cozy with twinkly lights and a welcoming staff. Unpretentious and inviting.We ordered a couple appetizers and were the most excited about the Brussels sprouts. They were the perfect combination of sweet - tamarind honey, and salty - mixed nuts. Seriously, we licked the bowl. The sweet potato fries were also surprisingly good. They were dusted with Cajun seasoning and served with a side of aioli. Lily loved the aioli and for the record she hates mayonnaise. Hmmm? Dare I tell her they're one in the same?  The ginger pork won-tons were over cooked, but we didn't mind too much and decided that we'll be back when we have heartier appetites. We also decided that we will try to make Saturday mass and dinner a thing during Lent. Next week Lily gets to choose the church and the restaurant.

 We had good eats.

We had good laughs.

During dinner, we broached the subject of a new furbaby...a friend for Tigger who appears especially lonely lately. Mike and I had already talked about it during our walk and Lily brought it up out of the blue. This morning I switched my calendar for the new month and the image was a kitty. I take that as a sign, of course.

Or maybe we're supposed to get him a bird?

We slept in again today and had a slow start. I lingered with my coffee and my book. I'm back to Olive Again. I put it down to read something that was due sooner and now I'm so happy I still get to read it. Lily drove to Starbucks for breakfast with Mike and I got busy in the kitchen. My major accomplishments were organizing all of my spices and making a big huge pot of Pasta Fagioli for the week. I basically take the Olive Garden's recipe which I've never tried, and add more vegetables and a quart of chicken brodo to cut the tomato sauce. It is a bowl of perfection in my opinion. Mike is my favorite person because he went to the Apple Store to pick up my phone and then to US Cellular to activate it. Now he's taking a nap. Lily is cleaning her bathroom. That makes her another of my favorite people. Ted is supposed to call shortly and he is another favorite.

Mangia.

Tonight we'll grill Buffalo Chicken Burgers because it's 50 degrees out. We'll probably play a game of Wizard. It'll be early to bed in our clean sheets. Still flannel because it's still winter.