thirty years!

Carrie turns thirty!

The Party:

Fire outside

Fire in the barn woodstove

Clear night, half moon, stars and good company

Jeff and Jenn. Jeff is a friend from college.

Abid and Alia. Alia attended Columbia with Carrie and is now living in Boston.

The Cooks:

Eliza made two loaves of sesame topped braided challah bread.

Suzanne beginning the butternut squash soup with coconut and spinach and tofu.

Kate checking Epicurious on her ipad for lasagna recipes, stuffed dates and more.

Sisters!

Suzanne is from Austin, TX. Carrie and Suzanne met in Biloxi, MI working for Hands ON USA.

Carrie and Kate are friends for college. They drove down to Biloxi together to volunteer right after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Apple Crisp and ice cream. The end to a perfect birthday meal.

Twenty five of us gathered in Lincoln to celebrate Carrie's thirtieth birthday. Carrie, Suzanne, Kate and Eliza showed up around two o'clock after stopping at Whole Foods on the way to gather ingredients and began cooking up a storm. I joined in for the apple crisp part of the menu. Now this is the way to give a party. Many cooks!

Guests arrived as it was getting dark. Friends had traveled from as far as New York City, Washington D.C., Freeport, Maine and North Carolina and from nearby Cambridge. David lit a fire in the courtyard and in the barn woodstove. Guests migrated from barn to house and back again. The moon was bright and I realized how we all love to stand around a fire, drinking mulled cider, talking and occasionally just staring at the flames. The piñata in the barn topped off the party. Nothing like blindfolded revelers swinging baseball bats! It was a great evening.

Happy Birthday, Carrie!