Another great visit with Jamie and the kids. It was my week to cook, so I whipped up a salad (well, actually I bought it ready-made from McQuades) and some pasta and had it ready for Jamie and the kids when they got home around 7:00. We had a fun-filled hour over dinner, with lots of laughs and general cheerfulness. It would have been hard for someone to tell that Jamie had been through a very hard week. I'm so proud of him for dealing with his sorrow in such a brave and dignified way. He's like the captain of a ship called "Jamie's Family", and he's determined to get the ship safely through these troublesome waters. 

Earlier in the day, we had Jane and Charlie over for lunch. Again, as chef for the week, I managed to put together a fairly successful meal -- smoky corn chowder with roasted parsnips and carrots, topped off with a dessert of vanilla ice cream with strawberries and blueberries. Not bad for a worse-than-beginner chef!