Downton Abbey Season Four Finale...

Sunday night was the Season 4 finale. 

Since I'd already watched the season on my British feed, I was

able to figure out the date of the final episode.

I made up some "elegant, Downton style"

invites and posted on FB.

When I was on the mainland, I went to Cost Plus and the Taste of Britain store

and bought up a few "British" things.  Hubby found the Allsorts and ate one bag.

It's very hard to get imported food here, so I made do with my own take on it.

The shortbread cookies were part of a "Downton Abbey Dessert" tin I shipped home.

I made some "easy" clotted cream (yum) thanks to "The English Kitchen" blog.

The lemon curd tarts are made with imported lemon curd that was to die for.

The tablecloths belonged to Terry's granny and are vintage. I just love them and they
are just perfect for this.
(they really were ironed, but I don't think they like the humidity)

I made tea sandwiches, cucumber, butter & watercress, roast beef & horseradish and

egg salad with dill on Hawaiian Sweet rolls.

At Whole Foods, they actually had three types of British chesses, white sharp, cranberry Devon 

and fig with honey.  I used some of the crackers and digestives that I had shipped home.

I'd read in the newspaper a few weeks ago about a place in town that makes

hand-held pies only 1 day a week.  I called "Let Them Eat Cupcakes" and "Georgie's Pies"

were happy to make me a special order.

I just warmed them.  They were so darn good!

even found some pretty pink flowers for a "tea bouquet "

I had an idea what I wanted for favors and found a place in town, Cookies By Design

that would make them for me.  It helped that the owner is also a Downton fan.

I looked up quotes that are so typical of Downton and they put them onto the cookies,

they came out just as I wanted.

A little memento of such a fun night.

Sara had found a "Downton Abbey Drinking Game".  It was pretty fun…

and the ginger ale, seltzer water and tonic water was flowing freely!

 one of the girls had served her mish in England and I had her stamp of approval, (even the clotted cream)!

part of this great group.  Four of the girls left early. So this die-hard group started watching

"Miranda" on Hula.  We were laughing so hard!

yup, we're already planning our next viewing party!

You're Invited...

the actual party tomorrow...

Shipping Home...

while looking on the internet for little treats for my upcoming 

Downton Abbey party, I came across an address that was 3 miles away!

I even bought hubby some of his favorite British/Canadian treats.

When you live on the most desolate island in the world,

it's hard to come by imported treats w/o them being very expensive...

so today I'm sending off 3 boxes of treats and 

various other things that we had here that were part of Terry's family.

I'm getting excited to share with my fellow

kamaaina Downton friends.

It's Back….

 there aren't enough words to describe the happiness

of watching Downton on the big screen.

Oh the excitement, the build-up, the countdown...

it was worth it!

** I've actually watched Season 4 on my computer

through a European feed.  Since it was so long ago, I'd forgotten 

parts of it, so it was like it was all new and I could concentrate

more.

Love this show!

2013 In Review (part I)...

to be continued...

Downton Finale...

I think I've recovered and can finally talk about it.

I was one of those (few) people that actually didn't have any idea

about what was going to happen.  I resisted buying the UK dvd when it

came out.  I skipped over any mention of the finale on FB, or Internet sites.

So I really was shocked!

When people would ask me who my favorite character was, I always

said "Matthew".  Not only did I love his looks, but I loved they way he was

with Mary.  I cried when he was wounded in the war during season 2.  The guilt he

he felt for poor Lavinia.  Then as in pure "Mr. Darcy" fashion, giving

into his love and desire for Lady Mary.

I won't say that Matthew was the only reason that I love Downton, but

his story line really was an integral part of my love affair with Downton .

Fast forward to Sunday night at approx. 1:55 minutes into the finale...the shock,

the horror, the disbelief !  I think my words to my friends (after I found my voice)

"maybe he's not dead".  We sat in my little living room in silence.  Kirsten already 

knew, but she said actually seeing it was hard.  She thought maybe it was another

Internet hoax.  

There was no rewinding it to see it again...just couldn't .  Those eyes, that smile, the wit...

gone

When the girls left, I laid in bed thinking about it.  I went to the computer to see

what other people were feeling.  Glad to see I wasn't alone in my sorrow.

Then I started reading about why the Matthew character was written out of the

show.  It's true Downton views would NEVER accept another actor taking

his place.  Matthew would NEVER leave Mary or their new son, he's not like that.

So what choice did the writers have? None.  The shock of Lady Sybil dying

was unexpected (another case of an actor wanting out).

I'm still very sad, but understand the reason.  

This finale will probably go down as one of the most memorable

in television history.  

Curse you Dan Stevens!!!!

Finale Party...

being told by Kirsten that she'd had a dream that I'd had a

"Downton Abby" viewing party led to a spur of the moment 

party.  A lot of friends I heard from after posting on FB said they weren't

caught up, so they didn't want to spoil it by asking a lot of questions.

So right after church I ran to Safeway (because I figured they had the

most "imported" food that I knew of).  So I cut crust off bread, had gherkins

that hubby said were British, ginger cookies, water biscuits, salt & vinegar chips, ginger ale, sparkling water with lime and a sort of

trifle thing. Not to bad for a quick party!

I even brought out Terry's Scottish granny's sweet tablecloth

(little did I know that part of the episode would take place in Scotland)

yummy open-faced sandwiches with creamy horseradish...

lemon bars and chocolate cupcakes were added to the mix

These two sweets came and we swooned, laughed, re-wound, and finally

cried together in disbelief.

Glad that I got to spend this special night with two such good friends.

I'm going to do a post on the finale when I've recovered a bit.

Hawaii Version of Downton Abby Tea...

My sweet friend, Marisa (also a "Downton Abby" fan) and I were

discussing this weeks surprising episode and decided that 

it would be fun to go to Tea somewhere.  I found out that

they still do an afternoon tea service at the Moana.  So today was our 

day to head into Waikiki.  

This was so fun!!!!

we both agreed that we had the best table on the lanai...right

overlooking the beach.

Marisa enjoyed her glass of pink bubbly

the food was so good!  Tea sandwiches, scones, mini-macaroons, Lilikoi tart, Devonshire

cream, lemon curd, mochi cupcake

we were given sandalwood fans

fresh berries with cream and brown sugar, to die for

the end was a lemon grass sorbet that was the perfect ending to such an elegant luncheon

while waiting for our car we sat on the front lanai in comfortable

rocking chairs.  We started chatting with a family next to us.  They 

were from Canada " but originally from the UK".  To say we were

swooning, would put it mildly.  We told her what we'd been doing at the

Moana.  She told us that she'd already watched season 3, wouldn't tell

us more, only that it's worth watching.

Cheers to my sweet friend,

"well we're locals you know"

The Return of Downton Abby...

finally after months and months of waiting, Downton Abby

returned to PBS.

As always it was worth the wait to see the goings on

both upstairs and down.

Wasn't sure Mary would actually go through with it...

but so glad she did.  She was a beautiful bride

Some of the best lines/scenes of the night came from Maggi

Smith and Shirley Mac Lane...the two Grandmas.

The were perfect...I'd read somewhere that some of their

lines were actually "ad libs".

Oh, handsome Matthew

will you save our beloved Downton Abby?

hummm, what WAS Mr. Bates final line with

his prison cellmate?

yes, it was worth the wait