Best Meal So Far

When we went to Vancouver to visit a couple of our best friends, they planned a surprise evening for us. They did a very good job in not letting on what the night was about. After taking us around Granville Island, they drove us to an apartment/condo. Deb and I had no idea what was going on. It turns out that they have a friend who is a professional French gourmet food chef!!! He cooked for us that night and it was the best meal in my life so far...

Citrus "cooked" scallop appetizers. I usually don't like scallops, but this was delectable and I could not taste the fishyness that accompanies seafood. (sorry for the loss of focus)

It was hard to choose my favourite dish of the night, but I think this would be my choice as favourite. The combination of fresh mozzarella cheese, asparagus and truffle was fabulous!

This was a close second - butternut squash soup. I have a sudden craving for this as I write this.

My wife's favourite! This is duck's feet spring roll with duck meat and skin on different kinds of mushrooms. Delicious!

To cleanse our palate, we had raspberry in champagne in a shooter lined with custom made/flavoured suger.


Rare charbroiled grilled lamb in parsnip and vegetables.
White chocolate panna cotta - amazing, considering we had a choice of hot or cold dessert. He gave us both!


2nd dessert - souffle with sugared champagne grapes

After dessert appetizer! We were so full after the previous dessert, but the ultra blue cheese was extremely tasteful!

Living Like We Live Forever

Intellectually we all know that we will die, but we do not really know it in the sense that the knowledge becomes a part of us. We do not really know it in the sense of living as though it were true. On the contrary, we tend to live as though our lives would go on forever."

Frederick Buechner

For some reason, society has a fascination with longevity and staying young. It baffles me at times because on one hand, I don't want to be here. I desire to be in heaven where things will be infinately better - but I know I'm called to be here; however short that may be.

But Buechner is right, we, as the human race, tend to live as though we live forever. I don't think we are blatant about it (i.e. we make statements like, "I live forever"), but we make life choices that assume that all that matters is in this world and that there is no life after that we invest in.

I recently came back from a visit that took me to various urban cities and was amazed at what people spend their money in. I find that I visit these places, need to prepare myself for the extravagance that hits me. Cars that cost more than my house; lavish eating; stores that sell clothes for hundreds of dollars... it makes me think I need these things myself. Whether it is just sinful coveting or thinking that I deserve it, I struggle in my mind with being materialistically content.