Soup and Grapes

The Bridal Bouquet

The excitement of family gatherings and wedding celebrations has done me in. My brother arrived from Melbourne with a cold, and in his words ‘Don’t say I never give you anything’. Yeah, nothing but schtick. So, it was soup and grapes for me today while everyone else around me embarked on their various travels.

One of the joys of having a brother who's a chef. He made this for breakfast the day after the wedding. I took the photo before a balsamic reduction was drizzled around the plate. Underneath the rocket salad is, from the bottom, sweet corn pancakes topped with slices of brie, bacon, and a perfectly poached egg. Around the side are oven roasted cherry tomatoes with thyme. Observe the surplus bridal chocolates in the background.

The newly weds went on their honeymoon to the Sunshine Coast. My brother and his wife returned to Melbourne. My other sister and her husband, not forgetting the adorable Hannah, invited everyone else to a Mother’s Day picnic hosted by his family at some seaside location.

The Adorable Hannah

Lest you think I might have felt upset by missing out on all the fun, I should reassure you that I was only too pleased to be dropped off back at home with enough soup and fruit to ensure my recovery. Even if I didn’t have a cold, I was already looking forward to getting away from all the mayhem. Another day of being grabbed and crushed by people to whom I am only peripherally related would have tipped me over the edge. To say nothing of the effect that this newly discovered hyper-demonstrativeness has had on my mother.