new series

We had a busy Saturday. The vet school had its annual open house so we took the kids and saw a lot of ponies and horses and dogs. I think the kids were thrilled by it all, but we arrived latish in the afternoon so they were already tired and the things they really wanted to see -- the small animal hospital, the exotic animals, and the "teddy bear clinic" (where they could take their lovies to get checked out) all had huge lines. We'll plan better next year.

That evening our friends came over for the latest in our series of dinner parties. Since they had given up refined sugar for Lent, part of our challenge was to create desserts (traditionally the highlight of the meal) without sugar as sweetener. Our solution was to make homemade honey and toasted walnut ice cream with a spiced honey cake, and theirs was sweet potato pie with an all-nut crust sweetened with agave nectar. Everything was delicious and the conversation was delightful. They even came in two vehicles so that they could bring the motorcycle that Linus has been talking about for such a long time (if you look closely, you can see him in the bike's reflection). He actually seemed uncharacteristically bashful while out looking at it, but he's been talking about it ever since, so I know it made a considerable impression upon him. (It probably doesn't need to be said, but Gwennie got dressed up in her frilliest dress for the occasion as well.)