This is only my third one ever, no make that my fourth, but I think Thanksgiving might be my newest favourite holiday. I love that it’s on a Thursday so there’s a short working week, I love that Black Friday is the day after and everyone runs out to the sales, I love that after all the fun there’s still a weekend of relaxation making it a nice long holiday, and above all else I *LOVE* that when all the fun is over, there’s STILL THE EXCITEMENT CHRISTMAS TO COME! I love Christmas of course, but once Christmas Day is over with, the whole of Christmas is too…

This year we stayed local and went to visit friends in the city for a fabulous home-cooked dinner, *fabulous* being the word.

Turkey comas merged into deep sleep, and deep sleep led us into morning in San Francisco.

Morning football and morning play took us to a lazy late lunch in the mid afternoon.

And from lunch we went to Union Square where we waited in the cold…

…for this…

…to become THIS!

Followed by a trip around the sales (and a new outfit for Baby Peach), ending up on the seventh floor of Macys standing in line to meet Father Christmas.

All of that and there was still the weekend to go.

Yes, I love Thanksgiving.

Guess what, guess what, GUESS WHAT??!! I think I have found me one of the best, best, BEST things EVER! I’ve only gone and found myself a local tearoom *great big, fat squee*. After weeks of anticipation and planning my birthday treat the great day came and we headed into the city for tea and scones at the Crown and Crumpet and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Given that anything ‘English’ (especially things like afternoon tea) is a bit of a novelty over here, there is a bit of a risk of it being overdone – I only have to mention the words ‘chintz’ and ‘doily’ and you get the picture, and then to make it even more over-the-top add to that all the lace, net curtains, the obligatory grandfather clock against the wall and the fake red telephone box in the corner and it’s cringe, cringe and Cringe Even More. But the Crown and Crumpet was EXCEEDINGLY different… pretty and modern and fresh and a complete EXPLOSION of Cath Kidston, everywhere. A perfect blend of tea and kitsch, if you ask me. Not contrived at all, and run by a bona fide Englishman which made it even more special. It actually reminded me very much of a place we went to on our trip to the Lake District last year, which says a lot as it could very well pass as a tearoom back home in the Motherland, easily. The Doc and I had the Afternoon Tea For Two- hot buttered crumpets, finger sandwiches, tea and scones and jam, and some little cakes too. Marvellous. We will definitely go back. Well, it is our local tearoom after all.

PS Oliver liked it too. They even let us have his stroller next to our table.

One year after our wedding, I was in England, living with my parents, celebrating my one year anniversary alone in the garden with a microwave curry and a miniature bottle of champagne. Two years on and I’m living in America with my husband, in our own house, with a sweet furry kitten and a brand new son.

August 4th 2007. Happy times xxx

I just got sent this by email- it only applies to US date formats, but it’s pretty cool nonetheless…

I’ve been alerted to an event that will take place later this week, something that happens once and only once over the course of history. Shortly after noon on July 8, comes the moment that can be called 12:34:56 7/8/9.

I just got news from England that my best friend from home just gave birth to a baby boy weighing….

ELEVEN WHOLE POUNDS.

WOW

CONGRATULATIONS Liz and Richard!
Here’s to you and your house full of boys, I can’t wait to meet him when I’m home at Christmas.
xxx

***Edited to add***

Birthed in the ‘conventional fashion’ too and without any drugs! She’s my hero!

What a wonderful weekend! We had our baby party on Saturday and we were absolutely bowled over by the generosity of our friends- thankyou all so much! Everyone was so incredibly kind and thoughtful with their gifts and well wishes and we are so grateful to our friends in San Francisco who hosted it for us in their fabulous apartment. It really was the most perfect day that’s going to be filed away with the rest of life’s special memories.

The weather was typically San Francisco (i.e. foggy and atmospheric; my favourite kind) but it was still warm and dry enough to hang outside. We even got to check on the progress of the wine that our friends are making (we’ve been eagerly following their progress since they picked the grapes in Napa last autumn). For a first time try it’s impressed everyone, but then they are professional chemists so no matter how much they protest that they’re winging it, they know every single chemical reaction taking place, hehe. Hopefully DrMrNin and I might get in on it this year too- but this time the plan is to buy the grapes ready-picked as it’s far less work- it took four people picking for an entire day to get the juice contained in these ‘barrels’.

PS Don’t you love the polka dot mug? It’s from Sur La Table. I’m going to investigate as I think they’d look lovely in our kitchen