Farewell, Happy Birthday, and Good Night

We are a little bit sad, a little bit happy, and a whole lot full! We attended two social events this evening: one farewell supper for our friends Jason and Miranda and one birthday party for my colleague Suzanne. Jason has accepted a job at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, WY, so they're moving tomorrow and hosted a final get-together for their friends this evening. Of course it was sad to say goodbye, but it's always exciting to think of new beginnings in better jobs. We wish them all the best!

Jason, Arabella, and Miranda

Suzanne's birthday isn't until Wednesday, but our friend Michelle invited her over to her home for supper this evening and then surprised her with cake . . . and with other guests! We popped over after supper with Jason and Miranda and enjoyed visiting with Suzanne and the others, drinking wine, and eating cake (lemon poppyseed with cream cheese frosting, made by another colleague, Paul).

Our daughters were reminded in advance of the dictum, "Children should be seen and not heard." Yet at both locations, they flouted it! Which was just fine, actually. They played with Jason and Miranda's two-year-old daughter, allowing the adults to visit rather than keep an eye on her; and at Michelle's, they visited with the adults seated near them and kept them amused, I think, with their stories and vocabulary. These girls just can't resist an opportunity to visit! They wouldn't have gotten by well in Victorian England.

Early Turkey Supper

Fun event tonight: Susan and I were invited to a coworker's house for a potluck Thanksgiving meal. Actually, this coworker, Deana, used to be more directly a coworker; she's the secretary to the vice president of the division in which I used to work before moving into a faculty position. She was also Susan's classmate in high school! Anyhoo, Deana and her husband had a handful of friends over, and we were among those invited.

She served deep-fried turkey*, and the other dishes contributed included chicken/wild rice soup (deliciously savory . . . and made by Susan), roasted herbed potatoes, green bean/French onion casserole, meatballs in white gravy, buns, pumpkin roll, pumpkin bars, and cookies. Our friends Jason (also a coworker) and Miranda (remember?) had their toddler, Arabella, along, and she kept us all entertained thoughout the evening.

Good food and drink + good friends = good times.

* Note to non-residents of southwest ND: "deep-fried turkey" here does not mean a turkey that has been cooked by submerging it into a pot of boiling oil. It means turkey that has been cut into cubes, marinated, breaded, fried to form a savory crust, and then baked until done. I don't get the nomenclature either, but it is truly delicious . . . and ubiquitous at special gatherings, it seems: catered wedding receptions, holiday get-togethers, potlucks, etc. Nummy!

Even More Supper Guests

Our friend collection continues to grow. Tonight we had Jason and Miranda and their three-month-old daughter over for supper. [They both work at the university with me, and I attended two conferences with Jason during this past year (one in Grand Forks, ND and the other in Orlando, FL).] I grilled steaks; Miranda made a delicious potato salad; and Susan made three-bean baked beans with hamburger and bacon in it, pasta salad, raw vegetables, and for dessert a fruit pizza. The weather was slightly cool and perfect for outdoor dining on the veranda. The baby was content all evening long, and the girls took every opportunity to "babysit" her: talking baby talk to her, holding rattles and other baby toys in her face, putting their faces close to hers, etc.

However, the girls were distracted for a little while when a dog appeared on our lawn. They read its tags and had Susan phone its owners, who agreed to come by to pick it up. Before then, however, the dog ran away again . . . back to the relative's house where it had been brought to visit for the night. After chasing down the dog--panicking that its owners would arrive at our house any moment to pick it up and find it missing again--Susan and the girls were assured that the dog had indeed run back to the house where it was supposed to be for the night.

That excitement aside, we had a relaxing and enjoyable night of eating and visiting with good company. We'll happily add them to our growing friend collection!