We party when Sarah Lynn comes to town!

 To grandmother's house we go, the car knows the way.... we brought the ingredients to make a delicious mushroom-onion-cheese omelet.

 Our omelet had 12 eggs. I'm very particular - and peculiar, too - and only use eggs where the hens roam free, are not injected with antibiotics, and eat only grain and Tootsie Rolls.

We retired to the living room after eating. I went on the recumbent bike for 20 minutes to reduce my blood sugar and Mom went on for a couple of minutes.

Sarah arrived yesterday morning from Amsterdam, where Ethan and The Bad Plus played at Bimhuis, a gorgeous jazz club, said Sarah.



The Dutch love the Bad Plus. Next stop for the boys..... Rotterdam.

Sarah told us about some wonderful museums they saw....

Would you believe The Museum of Bags and Purses?

Sarah loved "The Milkmaid" by Vermeer. My mom had been in Amsterdam many years ago and remembered some of the great paintings at the National Museum of the Netherlands. 

Some of the "Rembrandts" were huge, like the famous Night Watch.


 According to Wiki, whom I revere and write love letters to, The Night Watch is the most famous painting in the world.

Dear Wiki: I have never heard of The Night Watch by Rembrandt. Is there something wrong with me? Please advise. Love always, Ruth Z Deming

Neither have I heard of Puccini chocolates until this morning. 

Thank you Sarah for bringing the bonbons home across the wide Atlantic, while you watched movies that made the time fly by: All the Presidents Men, about the Watergate Scandal, and the Disney film The Fox and The Hound.

On your mark,

get set

GO!!!

The bitten one is my fave - caramel interior, crunchy butternut exterior, but who can complain about the Paprika-Flavored Nougat filled chocolata?

Ah, here is Uncle Benny's Stradivarius. A fake, certainly, but maybe it's worth something. Sarah knows someone who will tell her. I vividly remember this violin from my childhood in Cleveland and even remembered the purple-cushioned interior.

What a grand time we had, just relaxing in the living room. Gram gave Sarah some beautiful tablecloths that were Aunt Ethel's.

She bought a present for Max in Amsterdam, joyfully wrapped by a man in the gift shop. She said that waiters in the restaurants really make you feel like a million dollars. I told Sarah that when she and I went to a certain French restaurant in St Martins, they were the same way.

In fact, they walked us out to the taxi!

Gram and Ellen talk about moving to a smaller space. Will it ever happen? Ellen found these lovely condos in Southampton, where we went inside the model suite.

Front door. Who doesn't love stained glass?

Our last stop was at The Demings so Gram and Ellen and Sarah could see Grace and Max.

On the way home, Ellen wanted to drive down Paper Mill Road. Mom used to deliver Meals-on-Wheels to someone who lived there.

The street has really changed. Here's a typical house



Ever since we were kids, we've loved looking at houses. That's why I'm so thankful to live in my lovely yellow house. Read a story I wrote about it here.

When I dropped Mom and Ellen off at their house, I said, "Thanks, Mom, for challenging yourself."