one more apologetic, photoless update

My goodness.

Life has been simply crazy of late. The last two weeks have simply SPED by in the company of my beloved mother-in-law who always makes every event three times as much fun, just by being there. And there have been SO MANY events.

The burglary has also set me back as I just cannot retrieve photographs from our old iPhoto sources with any ease. I depend on poor John to teach me to do everything, since my old system was stolen out from under me.

For my own sanity, may I list: "Six Degrees of Separation" was a mixed bag, theatre-wise. Strong performances, the most thought-provoking notion just in and of itself: how many degrees separate you from anyone you can imagine? Us from the Queen? Not so many as you'd think. John worked once at Goldman with someone who is now a Gordon Brown staffer. There you go: three degrees. Angelina Jolie? Avery had a school chum whose mother was best buddies with Elton John. At most, three degrees? Mother Teresa? Just add one from the Queen to Princess Diana, and there you go. We couldn't come up with ANYONE for whom we needed six actual degrees. And neither do you, if you know me. That's just one extra degree.

The play itself? Memorable mostly for the two naked male bodies fresh from a gay encounter, leaping about the stage. "Concealing a gun? Look at me! I don't think so!" Poor Avery didn't know where to look. Today, as I was recounting the story, she said, "I was FINE about it, it was just sitting next to YOU when it happened that was embarrassing!"

Ditto "The Last Station", a film about Tolstoy, with my adored crush James McAvoy in the supporting actor role. Well... one of the major plot lines was his deflowerment, by a young Tolstoyian maiden. Again, averted eyes, and "if you hadn't been next to me...!" A bit too much education, all of a sudden. But as my dear friend Jo said today, none of it is the first, nor will it be the last, so get used to it all!

There have been countless fabulous shopping trips (Benefit for Avery, food for me in many different places, the Apple store for John to replace our stolen computers)... and meals, my goodness! Last night's fried haddock with fresh olive oil-rosemary breadcrumbs from Gail's in Hampstead, homemade tartare sauce on the side! The Easter ham and its accompanying dauphinoise... fillet of beef with mushroom duxelles... pork medallions with sage, cream and brandy sauce...

Most of all, it's been the company of one of my favorite people on earth, plus two other of my favorite people on earth. Together, the four of us huddle down wherever we are, enjoying each other, raising a glass as many times as we can to John's beloved, much-revered, completely-missed father, feeling that as long as we can remember him to each other, laugh over our memories, he is still here.

Right. Tomorrow I shall consolidate photographs and tell you about Wiltshire. Specifically, Salisbury. Its Cathedral Close formed our home for six days, and its people were a complete delight. One in particular... but that's another story.

I promise I'm getting back on track and tomorrow? A recipe.