Bon Appetite!

I just had a double digit birthday and my gift to myself was a trip to DC to visit Lauren and Will, my daughter and son in law. I was there for 10 days and could have stayed forever. I miss them terribly and it was so great to just be with them and enjoy their new lives. Lauren and I were joined at the hip for days. We shopped, made my oh so favorite thing-stationery, looked at houses, did some sight-seeing and talked and talked and talked for hours. We also drove to Philly to visit a gallery that we've been looking at online for years. We both bought paintings done by outsider Cuban artists. We are kind of clones of one another and usually finish each other's sentences. It was my BEST birthday ever. Her gift to me for the BIG 55 was fabulous stationery that she had made and an incredible paper mache puta! Muy magnifico.

For my actual birthday dinner, she fixed Julia's boeuf bourguignon. She and Will and I all loved the movie Julie and Julia and that's what inspired the wonderful dinner. I had told her when I saw the movie that the boeuf bourguignon was the most beautiful meal I had ever seen. So, that's what she so lovingly prepared. The table was set with such sweetness; the Gypsy Kings were playing softly in the background; the candles were burning, and the conversation was so fun. They told me every little detail about how and when they met. Details I would have NEVER told my mother, but oh well! Dessert was that wonderful chocolate almond cake that's also Julia's recipe. Mmmmmmm so good! Unbelievably good.

When it was time for me to leave, we were in the car on the way to the airport and she asked me what my favorite thing was about my stay. I could barely answer. My eyes were filled with tears and I had a huge lump in my throat, because it was simply that sweet, so very special, boeuf bourguignon. So, bon appetite, with love!