Anne's Dinner Party

Chloe is here today helping me prepare for my dinner party tonight. I've invited a few very close friends to help me get through the weekend. The divorce will be final tomorrow and I'm quite sad so I decided to do the thing I really love which is to have a dinner party. Chloe came over last night and slept here and then I took her to ballet this morning. Since then we have been slaving away with our dinner preparations. Those of you who have been in my house know that the very old front room with the fireplace has been the dining room and the new addition room at the back has been the sitting room. Not any more. I had a new sofa delivered on Friday and, after much heaving and grunting, the men managed to get it through the front door. They had to remove the front door before it would fit but they did succeed and then they moved the two dining room tables into the back room. I've reversed eating and sitting and so far, I like it. We are having an Italian meal - antipasta, Pasta with pesto (Chloe made the pesto from scratch) then chicken with rosemary and Caesar salad. Pudding will be tiramisu. We are going to start the evening with champagne and then take it from there. I'm planning on having a wonderful time. Tomorrow, we will have lunch at the farm. Shay promises to get in a selection of Marks & Spencer meals so no one has to cook. Rachel is still doing fine as is baby ?