Father's Day / Moving Day 2013

My wonderful French neighbor Suzy surprised her husband Michel with a decadent 5 course classic French feast of delicacies for Father's Day.

Pere Michel

We started with Campari aperitifs and an amuse bouche of freshly roasted red peppers in garlic and olive oil on toasted baguette.

Tante Suzy

 The first course was a shrimp cocktail with her own midnight mayonnaise followed by a refreshing creamy vichyssoise.  

Laurent

Then came the main course, a rich blanquette de veau with pureed potatoes accompanied by a nice red Chateauneuf de Pape.   By this time I was in a partial food coma and my camera battery died, but then the real star was featured.  Jonathan joined when Suzy brought out the dessert, her very own chocolate and coffee eclairs.   Surely the best meal I will have until I go to France next week.
We spent the rest of the day packing Jonathan up for medical school.

He's really going and so far away..I'm proud of him but I'm also mourning the end of an era, my little boy isn't little anymore and is really growing up for real this time.  Even when he went to college, of course I cried but I could still jump in the car on a spur of the moment and have lunch or dinner with him.    For the last year, Jonathan lived with me and I got to play mama again to my overly large son who would look down at me with his big blues and say "Momma, will you make me some chocolate chip cookies?"  How could I resist!  I savored the time because I knew there would be an end to us hanging out together.   Now this day is within a few days.  He's off to a new chapter and he's excited and I'm excited for him.  I'm also off to a new chapter, I'll be in France, we leave the same day.  But I'll be back, because Sam is still around for hanging out.  I love my sons. I love being their mom. - Onward!