Happy, Happy Anniversary....

Eight years. Yesterday Joe and I celebrated 8 years of marriage...years that were filled with a lot of happiness and at times, a lot of sadness. Years that at this moment, seem both eternal and fleeting...

Something momentous happened on this anniversary...Joe and I had our FIRST date in three years + or Owen's life. 3400 or so days.

A couple of our friends had offered to watch Owen so that Joe and I could celebrate...and we jumped at the chance.

What. To. Do.

We opted for a nice, long dinner at Mizuna...it was heavenly. We began with a lovely bottle of Columbia Winery 2004 Syrah and two appetizers. The first, grilled spicy prawns served over a chorizo and white bean mixture. The second, a scallop ceviche with heirloom tomatoes. We slowly devoured these, enjoying every mouthful...rinsing our palates with a swig of divine juice.

Then came the salad. A light, succulent mixture of roasted duck, chevre, and an onion ring or two, lightly fried and so sweet. Possibly my favorite dish of the night...although the ceviche was a close second.

These two courses took at least 1 hour to consume and were intertwined with lovely music and an actual adult conversation! Oh the pleasures...

By the time our entrees arrived, neither Joe nor I were hungry any more. We ordered the braised pork and the chicken with gnocchi, (one of my favorite things on this planet!). We ate slowly and ordered a second bottle of wine.

We abandoned the pork and the chicken for a sweet concoction...the dessert menu was varied and not too overwhelming...we decided to try the Pistachio Bread Pudding with "Creme Anglaise"...which caused me some maybe incorrectly assumed humor...regardless of my giddiness, we delighted in every bite, letting the sweet mixture fill our senses, which at this point of the evening were on overload...I felt like my senses where on the outside of my body...it was truly divine.