An e-mail from a friend

Monday night, and we're making sausages and mash. Comfort food for a very comfortable week in my life. Sunday dinner returned to the normal schedule last night, and it all came together... Bea's plaited bread, Laura's miso-based salad dressing on an avodcado salad that was just right, Ryan's enormous super-cheap pork chops, Ulli and Mélisse's fine Québec beer and Jane's fine red wine. Outside the snow fell wistfully, settling just enough to be pretty yet not inconvenient for those who had to walk home. I tried to initiate this Sunday evening meal-with-friends routine after experiencing many happy Sunday nights chéz Beatrice and co in Oxford. It's become so important to me to have this rhythm, and I always look forward to the meals.

Tonight we got an e-mail from a distant and peripetetic friend... and above is a photo of Beatrice reading it. It's a pretty damning feature of my character that I'm updating my blog before I reply to her, but don't worry Stef, we're thinking of you and will update you soon. If it's any consolation, I'm even worse with staying in touch with my family... all will be addressed (or called) this week, I promise.

*j*