Introducing: The Perfect Day Book!

Yesterday was the perfect day. I was able to sleep in a little (getting up at 6 AM instead of 4 AM, for instance) and then meet some friends I haven't seen in months. We went to Panera's, which is one of my absolute favorite places to go since they have the best soup & salad combo! (Or soup & sandwich, or salad and sandwich...your choice!) We caught up with one another and I was delighted to discover one of my friends is pregnant! Very exciting!

Then I was able to finally find a shower caddy at Bed, Bath & Beyond. Took my husband's jeans back to Kohl's for an exchange since he bought the wrong size, came home, installed the shower caddy, then tackled putting together the bookcase I had bought last weekend at Ikea. I did laundry earlier in the morning, so that was out of the way. Putting together the bookcase took a bit longer than I anticipated (3 hours!! But I'm thinking I moved carefully because I wanted to make sure I was putting the right pieces in the right places.).

After I was finished, I placed some books in it, but just wanted to clear off the second bed, which before was filled with all sorts of books and "stuff." The bookcase is in our second bedroom, which also serves as my office. I have way too many books. Even after moving, and giving away at least three boxes of 'em, I still have many left that need a home. And so, my need for a larger bookcase was rather strong.

After the bookcase, I decided I wanted to make Spaghetti Carbonara, which is just fantastic! I can't tell you how much I love this dish. It's rather simple (which is often a hallmark of good dishes) but made with the freshest ingredients - just rocks the house. Bacon (or if you can get pancetta, a pork product, that would be the best, but bacon works in a pinch. Just make sure you get plain bacon - no "maple-flavored" since that would ruin the taste.), some onion and garlic sauteed in a little of the bacon drippings plus a little olive oil, and a splash of white wine. Then, stir in the cooked spaghetti and add a few beaten eggs along with some fresh Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley. Mmmmm..... Molto Buono!!!

As we at dinner with a salad, my husband and I watched an old comedy classic, "Throw Momma From the Train" with Danny Devito and Billy Crystal. We have a joke that we live next to "momma." Our next door neighbor sounds exactly like her! I remember when I came with Mickey to show him the place, she asked us through the window screen if we had any cigarettes. We said no. But the rattle in her voice revealed she had been smoking since she was probably two years old. Poor thing. We've not seen her much anymore so I suppose she's getting her cigarettes elsewhere. But that voice... just like "momma's!"

So, that was my perfect day. Productive, filled with connecting with my loved ones, and good food.

I think I'm going to create an online record for perfect days. Post it on your own blog. It's Sunday, and a time to relax and reflect. Here are the questions. Copy them, paste them on your blog with the answers, and then link us to your entry. I've been enjoying Peggy's Simple Woman Daybook idea for awhile and thought it would be fun to do something similar.

So, what has been a recent perfect day for you?

NOTE: Please copy and save "The Perfect Day" button above. When you post your own entry, use it on top and please link to me. I'm going to make this entry the guideline for participating. Thank you so much!


(INSERT PERFECT DAY BUTTON HERE)

My perfect day happened on...

What made me laugh was ...

I felt really good when ...

What surprised me was ...

The reason it was perfect was ...

The part I like to savor is ...

I felt like a success when ...

I ate ...

I drank ...

I enjoyed ...

I give thanks to God for ...

My "Kodak" moment: (Share a photo or several if you have them)


Here is mine:

My perfect day happened on...Saturday, November 23, 2008. It was a cold, cold, day - but sunny and bright. A gorgeous day, actually!

What made me laugh was ... When Teresa walked in with this kind of goofy smile on her face. I thought she looked a little "softer" than usual. It wasn't until she took off her coat that we saw she was pregnant. Both myself and my other friend Angela were so shocked that we were speechless for a few minutes! (Which is priceless if you know how talkative we can both be!)

I felt really good when ... I finally was able to meet up with my friends. We hadn't seen each other for about six months. We usually would get together once a month, but just couldn't find good times during the summer and then I couldn't meet a few times.

What surprised me was ... Teresa, for sure! At one point, her and her husband sounded like they planned on not having children. I'm so happy for them, though. Teresa is going to make a great mom!

The reason it was perfect was ... because it was a perfect blend of productivity and socializing. I felt like I accomplished a few things I had been wanting to do for awhile and was able to still get some very valuable friendship-building time in, too!

The part I like to savor is ... the laughter of four women catching up with each other's lives.

I felt like a success when ... I was able to put together that bookcase!

I ate ... Mmmm....Spaghetti Carbonara. Delicious! I am also finding fresh parsley does make a difference!

I drank ... White Merlot. Mickey and I have a glass each night and toast each other. We've now been doing this for years.

I enjoyed ... the look of the new bookcase as I envisioned it filled with my books.

I give thanks to God for ... Friends and the joy of connecting. Angela is the funniest out of the bunch and she kept making me laugh with this, "All aboard the crazy train..." then she'd pump her hand in the air like she was sounding the whistle while going, "woooohooooo!!" She is too funny!

My "Kodak" moment: My pictures are in this blog, more hopefully in the future. :-)

Now it's your turn. I think it will be fun to see what others experience as their "perfect day." Enjoy!

NOTE: Please copy and paste the URL of your entry - not the main address of your blog. That way, if people check in later in the week, they'll be directed straight to your Perfect Day entry. Thanks!