Birthday Weekend

My birthday was this last weekend. I must confess that I

love

it when my birthday falls on or near the weekend, because I feel indulgently justified in stretching it into three days of fun. Please tell me I'm not the only one who does that? 

When Julia asked me what I wanted for breakfast on my birthday, the answer was an almost immediate, "I want what I had at Le Pain Quotidien in London." That sounds like it might be complicated, but it's really just a simple breakfast parfait of yogurt, fruit, and granola. Bliss!

In the evening, the rest of the family came over for a dinner of homemade lasagna, presents, a video chat with Alexander and India, and brownies.  

Then the next morning, we got an early start and headed north to the Mount Washington Hotel.

I have three "happy places": home, Nantucket, and the Mount Washington Hotel. I feel completely at home in each of those places...so relaxed! I love the stately grandeur of the Mount Washington contrasted with the rugged grandeur of the mountains surrounding it.

Breakfast is my favorite meal to eat out, and the Mount Washington Hotel has an

incredible

breakfast buffet! I feasted on: berry muffin, fruit smoothie, fresh fruit, bacon, blueberry sausage (yum!), omelette, tea, orange juice, and more. All scrumptious!

We did a bit of shopping at the Garnet Hill Outlet before leaving the north country. (Yes, such a thing exists!)

Sunday was a restful day following church. And the Sunday night return of "Victoria", watched with a cup of hot chocolate in hand, was the perfect ending to a great weekend!