Excellent Friday

Yesterday Mark and I were busy, busy, busy all day, getting ready for our dinner party.   We had six stops to make at stores, plus getting gas and going to Jiffy Lube for a new headlight.  By 3:40 I had made the salad for dinner and headed out to pick up Emily.  Then the traffic hit.  It's always bad on the Baltimore Beltway at rush hour, but there was more than that yesterday.  There was Friday rush hour; Obama was in Baltimore; the Preakness is today but there was a concert at Pimlico last night; and there was an Orioles' game.  Yeah, that made my 40 minute drive to Emily's house take 80.  And then back.  I picked her up because Lowell works so close to Cindy's house that it makes no sense for him to go home first and get her.

Emily had a great day because she got to go wedding dress shopping with her mom.  They went to Columbia Bridal, the same store that I went to with Evey.   What fun!  I can only imagine how excited and proud Pat must have been to see her daughter try on gowns.  She tried on 12 gowns, but she only took pictures of her favorite three.  I loved looking at the pictures and sharing her excitement.

Once Kip, Denise, and Logan arrived, we had a fabulous dinner.  Mark made a white chili with chicken and turkey that we got off the internet.  It turned out great.  There was challah and wine because it was Friday night, and I made a salad.  Dessert was an assortment of cookies and coffee while we played Farkle dice.  Emily won!  So much fun to spend a Shabbat with family.  That almost NEVER happens for us anymore.

Today we are going to shul and then I'm playing Mah Jongg at Robin's house.  It should be another great day.