two arrivals that make me happy

A year ago March I thought I had discovered the best furniture store on the planet. It is tucked away on W. 18th Street in the Flatiron District. I walked in and fell in love with almost everything in the store. M was with me, and actually, it might have been her who "discovered" Home Nature.

As it turns out, this discovery wasn't that much of a discovery. One of my nephews furnished his Hampton house largely from this store. Another nephew's in-laws also shop here.  And one day I even see Julianna Margulies shopping here with her mother.

Finally, this past January, Home Nature has a sale on the sofa I want. I buy it (and later, some throw pillows).  I love the fabric; the picture does little to show its beauty, texture, and durability.  It can even be cleaned with bleach —not that I would, but I can. And better still, Citibank is offering an 18-month-zero-interest credit card, so paying for it becomes affordable.

Today the sofa arrives, and it fits perfectly. The scale is exactly right. I love its modern lines, and simple aesthetic. It'll likely be the last sofa I ever buy, but I doubt I'll tire of it.

A few hours after my sofa arrives, my good friend M also arrives. She's here (from the Cape) for a quick 24 hours, but we still manage to get a lot in.

First, Costco, which is a treat. I haven't been there much lately, having no car access and only one person to feed and clean. 

On the way home, we stop at Lloyd's on upper Lexington. For $3, Lloyds still sells the best piece of carrot cake anywhere.

Later we meet Sam (M's son) and Josie (his fiancee) for dinner at Kefi. Sam is the foodie among us and we always let him choose the restaurant for dinner. This one he heard of by watching Billions — apparently some of the show's characters ate there in one episode.

Josie and Sam are among my favorite young couples. I thoroughly enjoy their company, and being with M is always great. The service is slow, but we don't mind. We have plenty of time between courses to savor the many flavors of each dish. And while everything is good, the Australian lamb chops are exceptional. They are served with a lemon/olive oil sauce called ladolemono. It is so outstanding that I am tempted to cook something just so I can see if I can replicate the sauce. 

After our leisurely dinner, we call for a VIA and it comes in one minute, literally — the ideal end to an ideal night.