Well, I'm sorry to say that I clearly missed greatness last night at Susan & Louis Ainsworth's dinner for Genie & Joe Dixon, Debbie & Stu Williams, Ana Scofield & Rudy Maxa, Annamarie & Karl Rigelman, and my Johnny. I fell asleep before John got home (beer + sun + Stephanie = one tired momma), so only got the details this a.m. (I'm using the word "details" pretty loosely; Stu filled in most of the specifics since that's not, um, John's forte). The highlights...ratatouille, shrimp, bruschetta, and a pear, gorgonzola, portobello, and rosemary pizza for appetizers. Main course of lamb with a red pepper coulis. Dessert cheeses including Shropeshire blue, a goat milk brie, and brie d'Affinois. Of course, plenty (!) of fabulous wine including a 1971 Ch. Rayne-Vigne sauterne (rrrrrrar!) as well as 1990 Diamond Creek Gravely Meadow, Red Rock Terrace, and Volcanic Hill, en magnum. Beautiful setting (Sue & Lou's newly remodeled home, which John said is both stunning and comfortable, good combo), great conversation, amazing food and wine; in sum, John had a relaxing, charmed, late-summer evening..and I missed the whole damn thing. Damn! When is the next? I'm THERE.

Tonight, nothing nearly that lovely, I'm rather sad to say. I had a boatload of carrots in the cooler from my CSA veggie share so made a pretty and tasty carrot soup (recipe in comments, below). With a ripe garden tomato salad and a tuna sandwich on rye, it all made a light, simple summer din.

The sun's supposed to shine tomorrow, my friends. In this last week of summer, I'm hoping for long swims with my boy, as well as after-dinner walks (before he has homework each night), shooting some baskets, maybe hitting a few tennis balls together. Summer's last hurrah! And I'm the only one who will miss it - Nathan's favorite season is winter, the darker the better. A Minnesotan, that one, yes he is.