My afternoon tea is at one o’clock tomorrow (I know, a proper English tea is not until 3-5 pm, but I have opera tickets and it would have made plans a little tight and hurried). I have not yet gone grocery shopping. But I’ve done most the cleaning (the floor needs to be mopped and I still have clothes to do) and I bought the most soft, delicious marble rye bread today at work in the cafeteria. Most of the food shouldn’t take long to prepare, so doing it tomorrow should be fine.

The menu tomorrow (I think)
Smoked Turkey with cranberry relish on white
Roast beef with apricot-date chutney on marble rye
Cucumbers with mint and dill butter on white
Cranberry orange scones
Chocolate chip scones
Pumpkin scones (if I have time)
Pumpkin roll with cream cheese (pumpkin bread maybe?)
Strawberries
Cream puffs (bought)

For teas, I’ve got 3 different varieties of rooibos tea (plain, with orange and a chai flavor), a vanilla chamomile, and a mint. I’ve also got a few choices in hot chocolate. Maybe an apple cider as well?

I also want to make the butternut squash soup again for dinner tomorrow before the opera. And I have bananas that I’d like to make in banana bread since I’m doing all the cooking (but that could wait).

I haven’t entirely decided if I’m going to wear my Regency dress or not. I’m tempted: it is my birthday party, I’m going all out as it is, and I love my dress. I’ll probably ditch the shawl and the gloves though.

My friend Susan is expected any minute. She’s driving all of the way from Urbana, IL to spend the weekend with me!! No adorable preschooler this time or even a husband. I can’t think of the last time I got to spend so much unadulterated time with her!