Great times with two special families…and finally making good on an idea hatched back in January.

(You know you’re busy when it takes five months to get together.)

We cooked up a couple of ginormous lobsters, John grilled some steak for the non-lobster eaters (we had two…due to allergies, pour souls), and the kids loved it.

I did not. I love the eatin’ hate the killin’.

We had a four-legged guest, too. Dosie was less than enthused.

Sweet girl…

Sweet girls…

…and terrific friends. Proof that your house doesn’t have to be neat and perfect to host a gathering…just open.

…and that would be…Margaret Adele Ball Craig.

She was my grandmother (and Armour’s, and Andrew’s, and Sara’s, too…)

I attribute my love of cooking to her!

She gave the best presents – always from a silly character that had a small reference to the gift she was giving you (like “Oliver Twist” the year she gave me a beautiful wooden spoon) and she loved Julia Child before it was cool.

She knitted complicated sweaters (saying she liked knitting because it was ”like doing a puzzle”) and loved peonies, a good mystery novel, and a dry martini.

Gin, please.

She would have been 94 yesterday.

I miss her.

Hello ultra-thin asparagus and miniature pattypans…

You were most excellent for supper with a salad and a baked filet of flounder …