Dinner - Part 1

There are those days when you wake up and think, “THIS is going to be a great day”.
Then there are those you . . . well, ya just don’t. Saturday was one such day.
My eyes rolled open (in panic) about 6:20am. I had been up stuffing pork until 1am Friday night. After a mental scan of all I had yet to do, I forced myself back to sleep only for my internal “Get your ass up and go get bread” alarm to ring at 8:08am.
Jeans on, t-shirt on, mascara and lip balm so you don’t look dead . . . on.
I traveled to Wine & Market for coffee and the best focaccia known to mankind.
I met and shared coffee with Krim (the owner) and newly met neighbors. After about an hour I gathered my bread and headed for home.
Upon arriving home I, to my COMPLETE dismay (tee hee hee), discovered I had managed to nibble HALF of one loaf – GONE! Shamefully I drove BACK to Wine and Market to pick up a replacement.
On on to Mom and Dad’s to do laundry and have another cup of coffee and get some puppy play time in!
1:00pm - home again where the cleaning and furniture moving began. By the time I looked up it was 4:00pm. SERIOUSLY??? Now official panic mode set in as I threw myself to the mercy of the shower. It would have to perform a miracle on my already aching back and feet. Make-up went smooth; hair was behaving (so far) and the two Advil I chugged down with a bottle of water would hopefully scare off any further aches and pains.
It wasn’t until 5:00 pm during the 1.5 mile drive to pick up Emily that I realized exactly HOW behind I was. Now all I could do was laugh and pray for wine.
Emily was a savior. We tag-teamed the final prep - I owe my fingers to her for I surely would have chopped one . . . or two, off in haste. She poured a glass of wine for us and with a clink of the class the night commenced.

Janie was the first to arrive and became the official Illuminator of the candles.
The rest arrived around 6:30 as I finished washing the last dish of prep.
I turned to see my home, softly lit by candlelight, my beautiful friends with smiling faces and laughter coming in for a round of hugs and I woke up again.
With a deep sigh I thought, THIS is going to be a good night.
I couldn’t have been more correct.

teary-eyed surprise

On September 24th my phone rang. I was in the car with my father, headed to pick up my car at the shop - again... so, I didn't answer.
I did however listen to the message.
It was my best friend of nearly 21 years.
"I wanted you to hear it from me first, TL and I married last night at sunset on the beach. It was beautiful and I'm nervous but I am so happy."
My jaw dropped.

Last night I had dinner for the first time with the newly married couple.
The better part of 10 years had disappeared into these two newlyweds as if they'd just met. They were perfect.

To see my friend, she is my family, so happy, brought tears to my eyes.
As she handed me a photo album, I couldn't contain them.

There is something about people you love finding happiness.

Why I love Fall, my home and my neighbors.

Sadly, the most recent storm claimed the life of one of our backyard trees. It needed to come down; the entire center was hollow from rot.
But this beautiful tree which once provided shade now provides warmth on a cool night and that oh so wonderful smell of campfire.

Saturday night, myself and my neighbors, an eclectic and wonderful crew, gathered on the patio for an evening of cool air, cocktails, casual chatter and yes, a beautiful, warm, wonderful smelling fire.
Welcome Fall!
We'd been waiting.