A Taste of the Sea: Oyster Party

Harris Teeter is just too close!  PFS haunts the place, with good results.  They had such before Christmas a deal:  pre-order a hundred oysters.  They came in on a Friday and Saturday we had friends over to enjoy them with us.  PFS did most of the shucking, but our guests tried their hand as well.

Some needed more instruction.

I had other goodies to eat while we waited.

Keeping the trays full was heavy work.  You have to admire the crew at Clyde's Resturant.  They can turn out trays in no time.  It's a great place to go before 7PM for half price at the bar.  (They don't pay me to say this BTW.)

 Yummers.  Finished of every last one.

 

A taste of the sea for me.

On the Menu

Special meals were ordered up for the holidays.  A festive Christmas table set with the Rose Medallion china from my Mom.

Beef tenderloin, roasted potatoes, green string beans, cherries jubilee, and apple pie for Christmas dinner.

I was too busy cooking to get many pictures of the food, but it was delish.

For the birthday dinner roast loin of pork, scalloped potatoes a la our French home exchanger Catherine, asparagus, chocolate mousse with whipped cream, and chocolate icebox cake. (A theme seen here?)

 Nothing like lighting your own candles!

In case anyone was still dessert deprived, we had some apple pie on the side.

About an hour after eating (three desserts) E was hungry and finished off some leftover kebabs.  At that rate they will have outgrown the new clothes they got for Christmas in a month.

A Decade

Our first decade of adventure has come to an end.

With Grandma Cocke

Giverney in August

On our birthday ... Now we're eleven!  Many more decades and adventures to follow.

For the Children

Christmas Concerts

Last week I worked on Great Joy, a Christmas concert.  Here are some shot from rehearsals.  Some are backstage, some are taken from the light booth with an iPad.

 Two forty eight channel audio boards.

 

 

 

Many microphones

A twenty eight piece orchestra, a grand piano, a jazz band with drums, percussion, bass and electric guitars, two keyboards,  two choirs and hand bell were used.

House audio board.

 Three camera TV set up.

 Children's choir.

 Hand bells.

 Great Joy Choir on stage.

The Christmas story told in song, drama and dance.

 Some of the dancers and second choir.

 These for in the silver capes were spectacular.

My student crew Sarah and Tess were also rock stars backstage and on the spot light.  And the boys came up in the booth and E got to run part of the show cues. 

There's a T.C. Williams Chorus Concert on Tuesday Dec. 18 lead by the same conductor, Theodore Thorpe III, with the same jazz group plus the TC Jazz Band.  If you're in town come see it.  Show time is 7:30.  Choir members will also be singing during the "Christmas in Washington" show televised Dec. 21 on TNT Ch 36 at 8 PM.