Finnish Independence Day

The weekend after Thanksgiving every year, my best friend and his partner, Tuomo, throw a big bash to celebrate Finnish Independence Day. This year's party was last night, natch, and it was a blast. The guest list has grown over the years to meet the demands of an amazing volume of Scandinavian delicacies (apparently vodka, chocolate, vodka and something else) and its wonderful to watch Dave and Tuomo enjoy themselves so thoroughly. Throwing a party of any size at all is demanding for a host/hostess but also rewarding. Dave and Tuomo's social crowd knows party and they have rigorous standards... Dave and Tuomo both glowed even after the heat of the oven and stove had abated. I did note that Tuomo smelled heavily of ethanol by the time I took my leave, but hey---what's a party without a snockered hostess?

I confess that I'm having trouble with my new digital camera; the shutter speed is a bit slower than my Olympus so I'm getting alot of blurring. Gotta work on that.. My photos from the party did not turn out well and I had very little Finlandia so it must not be that...


What I really wanted to say about last night is how much I love my best friend and his partner. How proud I am of the life they've built together and how many more years of happiness together I wish for them. They graciously allowed me to sweep in the house early last night and help with final preparations to feel a part of it all. I really appreciated that. The only thing that could be better than having Dave for a best friend all these years is being married to Rob, my best friend for even longer, and Asia as well. Its like Thanksgiving all over; I have so many people to love and who love me in my life. How great is that?

Anna's milestone
My little goofball lost her first tooth today. Just in time for the Christmas classic tune...she does have another loose one so its just a matter of time...

She couldn't be any happier if Santa himself had arrived today. She's in heaven.