We passed... The Board approved the variances necessary to begin seriously working on the addition to our lakehouse. YAY! The Board members commented that we lived in a beautiful area of the lake, that it was definitely the right decision to add on rather than try to find something else, that adding on to our mini-ranch would upgrade the neighborhood and our house would then fit in to the neighborhood... Personally I think we fit in a bit better than one other house on our street but it's way less visible than ours so...

My couple days off were fun - I completed my card swap: 12 "love" cards, but I'm not sure I really like them. But at least if I can't finish another batch I have something done. I put together the rack I bought for my embellishments. It's big. Jack's first comment was where are we going to put that? It will find a home wherever there is space, and when I finally have my room done in the addition (Lord knows when that will be!), it will have a home there... Unless I choose another organizing method and I sell the rack...

We went to a party at Nanina's in the Park for little Lenny's confirmation. First of all, "little Lenny" (who will always be "little Lenny" to us!) is not so little - he's 16-1/2 and has his driver's permit, a girlfriend who wears really cute mini-skirts and is over 6' tall - bigger than his dad!!! Wow. Do I feel old today...

The party was wonderful - the food, as usual, was out of this world and included:
marinated artichoke hearts, grilled vegetables (roasted peppers, eggplant, zucchini, anise, asparagus, portobello mushrooms), marinated mushrooms, mozzarella and tomato salad, crackers, cheese, fresh fruit (pineapple, watermelon, honeydew, cantalope), scallops wrapped in bacon, rice balls with tomato sauce, mini Beef Wellingtons, sushi, shrimp and mushrooms on mini toasts, beef marsala, penne with vodka sauce, bowties with Alfredo sauce, sausage and spinach, eggplant rolatini, chicken balsamic with peppers, chicken Cordon-Bleu, a carving station with turkey and chateaubriand, an official confirmation cake, a chocolate fountain (you could dip Oreos, pretzels, hazelnut wafers, fruit), chocolate-covered strawberries, apples and bananas, assorted cookies and Italian pastries, carrot cake squares, brownie squares, zeppolis with honey or powdered sugar, cream puffs with and without chocolate, and even more!! That's just what I remember!!!

When we got home, I went to the bathroom, changed my clothes, and Jack and I went for a walk - maybe 1-1/2 miles or so - around our neighborhood. We were a couple of streets over, on Amsterdam, and some little guy on a bicycle said, "Do you know the W's?" (names concealed to protect the innocent!) They're our next-door neighbors, we replied. "I thought so, I recognized you." And off he went, with legs pumping and head helmet-protected.

When we got back, we stopped next door and told the story. They figured out it must have been Y's friend, who's been over to the house several times.

Either we're very memorable, or it's easy to remember 2 of the very few Catholics in the neighborhood...

Today I have LOADS of phone calls to make, so I'm off to put a second coat of nail polish on my toes (yes, I'm at work!), pick up my breakfast, then start my day...

More soon!