I have to say – the kitchen was a scene of utter chaos. And I absolutely loved it. People moving around, jostling, yelling for space and help. A bustle of activity and collisions and it was just so glorious to witness.
You may gauge the holidays on the meals that are served. But for me, the pleasure and measure of it is in the preparation. A house is full of love when its kitchen is full with motion.
A long day, but faster than it seemed. Despite us being in DC for a few days, it felt like we didn’t have enough time to visit with Kirt, Tricia, Paige, and Lisa/James. It felt like a blur to me, but it was probably doubly so for Liz.
All in all, I’m quite awed by what Liz has done. I know Tricia and Paige also completed the marathon, but for Liz… this was her first. And something she’s been working and training for, for almost a year. I’ve seen the work and struggle up close, and trust me when I say to you: it’s a LOT.
After a bit, we moved outside and got to settle in on a bench just by the front doors. Took this photo of the nearby alley, where this (and other) shops are situated. I learned that Blagden Alley is a bit famous for its murals, and loved that we kind of “discovered” this interesting area within the city.
In the far corner, just underneath the deck, there was a nest of young birds. And of course, both Liz and Audrey were very concerned about their well being during our construction.
Today, the kids got involved in the process. Here’s Liz, showing Paige and Audrey how to work the circular saw… and how to cut down some of the debris we were getting rid of (we were throwing the old boards from the second floor, down to the backyard).
We ended up needing a lot more than what was available (Kirt and went through a lot of boards, and discarded plenty). Ended up getting a guy with the forklift, to bring down a few fresh bundles.
Back at the house, Sandy’s cozied up in the living room.
Anne was decorating a lot of these cookies, and eventually Liz joined in on the action. I… mostly ate the cookies?
Group photo, with a lot of lovely lights in the background.
I’m in awe, and I haven’t even step foot inside any building yet.
Kirt, with the turkey out of the oven. Here, he’s removing a layer of salt that was placed on the turkey, which formed a kind of outer coating/shield during the cooking process.
Liz tried at least 20 different Italian restaurants, and nearly every place was booked. Again, we waited too long to try ot get reservations… as everyone and their mother was intent on carbo-loading the night before the race. So of course, every Italian joint was fully booked up.
We ended up getting reservations at a local restaurant, Nella in Hyde Park.
Late in the afternoon, a few of us decided to wander over to the beach for a walk… to catch the sunset.
Slow day today. We got up a bit early, and several of us headed out to Musekgon to visit the Muskegon Farmers Market.
Liz and I had an early date night planned today. Earlier in the week, we got an email notification, a kind of last minute invite to a Drammers event at Warehouse Liquors: a tasting event featuring Teeling whiskey. And a chance to sample tastes from two 30+ year old bottles!