Ordinary Wonderment

Today's Joy: A Favorite Sunday Night Ritual.
Spent the day doing the right thing, Reader. Taking care of some things I had put off and getting ready for the week ahead. After working hard all afternoon, I walked in the door and flopped down in a comfy chair just in time to hear Aunt say the magic words: "We're going to Red Ox for dinner."

It's become a tradition over the years that on certain Sunday evenings--after a horse show or a hard day's work, we gather at our favorite local restaurant to enjoy a meal we didn't have to cook and some quality time with friends. It just so happens, we're very blessed to have the perfect family-owned eatery just up the road.

The Red Ox offers a cozy, small town feel while still boasting an excellent menu. Nearly every dish is worth recommending. Great entrees, piping-hot bread, delish garlic mashed potatoes and even a fresh, mild & creamy bleu cheese dressing, that turns a run-of-the-mill salad into something much better. Sunday night means prime rib on special. The toughest choice of the night? Queen's Cut or the 2 1/2-inch thick King Cut. "As rare as you can serve it," Aunt always says. We're definitely a red meat crowd.

Then, as we sip iced tea and the soup & salads arrive, we settle back and recount the day--our successes and adventures, as well as the less-than-successful and the unintentionally hilarious. We laugh and enjoy just being together. At some point, somebody always orders a dirty martini, extra dirty. And somebody else always asks what makes it dirty.

Many of my favorite memories are from Sunday nights at the Red Ox. They are part of the social fabric of my life here. I can't think of a better way to round out a busy weekend or get ready for the week ahead. And as we amble out to the parking lot afterwards, to-go boxes tucked under our arms, there is more laughter and a chorus of Good Nights! These are the moments that come to mind when I think about how nice it is to be home.