And So It Begins...

Hello Blogland! I'm baaaack! Thanks to all of you dears who stopped by today for a visit...I know it's super easy to lose touch with blogs that take such a long break, so if you've stuck with me through these two weeks of pondering and reconstruction - big fat smooch to ya! I'm glad to be typing again.

For those of you used to the Living Graciously style (i.e. instructional blogging) of reading, I hope it doesn't take you too long to get used to hearing reading me talking. Because this is becoming a more integrated personal/instructional blog, I'll now be chattin' atcha more like we're having coffee together. Not so much pretense or instructor/instruct-ee business. It's more fun to write, and hopefully you'll feel like you are getting to know me better when you read it!

So today, for my inauguration back into the blogging world, I thought I'd share about a lovely first meal we recently enjoyed over at my newly married sister's home. Since they're living a new beginning together and I'm having a new beginning here at LG@WP, I thought it was apropos (in a cheesy kind of way).

Without further ado, our very first visit with the newlyweds:

Her beautiful new dishes - don't they just pop on her dark wood table?

Part of the mantel. Note the wedding picture taken by a friend with film and hand processed. What a wonderful gift, no?!

Love their bedroom...so soft and serene.

Yummm...Rosemary Lemon Chicken was on the menu for the night.

The food spread on her sideboard.

Dessert (brought by me) - a take on pavlovas. Super easy, super yummy, and super spring-y!

Thanks so much for hosting us Emily! We had a great time!

So now I want to know: do you remember what it was like when you set up your first home? Where did you live? Who was your first "company"? Our first home was a one room hunting cabin. Totally rustic and quaint. Totally great view. Totally tiny. So we didn't have much company for the 10 months we lived there. One person at a time about filled up the place! I do, however, remember one visit from the best man at our wedding. It was the dead of winter, and our place was cold. NO insulation, and we were used to it (just wore long johns around the house). But our poor guest was freezing to death...he was sitting on the couch with a blanket over him, and a hat and mittens on while we were trying to play some board games. Fun times. Thank you Lord for houses with insulation and  heat pumps- that's all I've got to say about that!

I'd love to hear about your first place...share with us, won't you?