Saturday Night

Saturday didn't quite go as planned. I've been a little stressed out with the fast approaching holidays, but that is nothing new...I think everyone gets a little bit stressed this time of year. Tom headed out for his pedicure around 11:00am. I never made it to mine, I'll see if I can't squeeze in a visit sometime this week. Maybe Tuesday, Tom has his holiday party at his office so it might be a good time to get the nails refreshed. I started to straighten up the house, I go through times where I am just a slob. I figured with my luck my brother in law would arrive at our house and I would have wrapping paper everywhere and shoes in the living room. We were supposed to go out for Chinese food last night and then I got the bright idea that maybe we should just cook dinner for my brother in law and mother in law. I called Tom on the cell and he thought it was a cool idea. We had a great menu planned in our heads so I gave my mother in law a jingle and asked her what she thought about dinner at home rather than at the restaurant....can you believe she told me that Jim, my brother in law, wasn't coming to town. Jim is a landscaper in Key Largo and was coming to Tampa for a croton convention...guess there's a convention for everything. I knew she was disappointed and told her to come to dinner regardless. The menu changed. Instead of a burgundy pot roast we decided on chicken picata, asperagus, and wild rice. I must say it was awesome. We may not have the Christmas tree or the house too decorated, but the table looked great. I used my favorite Christmas dishes, Dansk Winterfest, and plaid (my favorite color) placemats, hunter green linen napkins and pewter napkin rings(Tom's favorite). We had a great time and the children were on their best behavior. ( I was very proud, noone jumped on the table during dinner) We started to discuss Christmas dinner. Tom and I were planning on a small gathering of 4...the dinner has now grown to a party of 9 possibly 10,plans for a Christmas breakfast, dinner for 12 on the 26th and then another breakfast on the 27th before my brother and sister in law return to the Keys. On the 28th I will return to work to rest my dishpan hands.