Lebanese Coasters

 ... a set of coasters from Lebanon, a gift to Arta from Pouria ...

I was invited out for supper again, to the house next door.

I have no idea how many nights in a row this is.

I am just going to count my blessing and keep going and praying that this part of my life never ends. Pouria gave me a gift of coasters after his trip to Lebanon, so I took them over for part of the table decorating. I had forgotten how interesting it is to look into mirror encrusted coasters and see bits and pieces of one's face, until I saw Michael doing that.

Fascinating!

Probably the most fun was carrying them from my house to his, seconded by the joy of passing one out to each person.  Would you believe we are a six person family when we eat:  2 parents, 3 children, one grandma (and two grandmas, if it is the night Joan comes over).  Real family time!

We also tried peeling kiwis for dessert, in the fashion that I had seen on utube last night.  What worked last night, wasn't working this evening.  The first kiwi was too green to let the skin slide on one side of the glass and the flesh on the other.  The second kiwi was ripe enough, but Michael was trying to do it, with my hand over his.  Not a big success in terms of slipping a nice piece of fruit out of its jacket.  A lot of juice in both of our hands.  And half of the skin still on the kiwi when we were finished. Only successful if one counts the fact the Michael gave it a try, given that the skin of a kiwi isn't the most pleasant fruit to palm.

If Michael takes a try, then Alice must.  Richard superintended her attempts.  A lot of juice in the cup and on their hands, but what is dessert for, if not for trying something new.

Miranda and I could both see that the width of the rim of the glass may have something to do with success.  She said she had a glass that might work -- now broken.  I am going to search my cupboards for a glass with sides that have a finer side measurement ... if there is a next time.

Arta

PS  One reason why I might loose my option of going to dinner every night:  I was tidying up the back yard and came across a large, black garbage container that had black earth about 1/5 of the way up the side of it.  "The kids have filled that with mud," I thought.  "I will empty it in the garden for Miranda."  I did.  And without looking I flipped the garbage can back against the wall.

"Did you know you just emptied out the potatoes Miranda had sprouting," Grandma Joan  came over said to me.  She had been playing with the kids on the grass.

"Whoops!"

At the very least, I owe Miranda one twenty pound bag of potatoes ... to be delivered next fall.