on a lighter note...

...it was Mark's birthday on Friday! We kicked off the weekend with a smashing dinner (starting with a kumquat mojito, left) at the New Leaf Café, up by the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park. It's a non-profit restaurant where all the proceeds go to the upkeep of the park. One of my favorite spots in New York, especially for brunch in combination with a concert at the Cloisters. But this evening, we went for the live jazz they have on Thursday nights. Several thunderstorms passed through, but as you can see we had a few dry minutes to walk around, and once it was pouring, the rain just made the rustic restaurant even cozier.

While Mark's grown a sweet tooth since I started baking more often in the suburbs, I still figured the oysters were a better bet for the birthday candle. The kitchen gave us a bonus oyster for the occasion, which made it not a half dozen but a lucky seven!

It was a night -- and weekend -- of mixed emotions though. More on that to come...