Dinner Part 2 - and "you say Good-bye and I say Hello"

It had been the better part of a year since I had people over to my home for a dinner. Several new coworkers and others have asked the question, "why do you do all that? Special occasion?"
I know my immediate response was "no, but why not? It's what I like to do."
But I've thought about it.
I know - ME thinking about something comes as a surprise!
I resolve to this answer.
Friends, they are the people you get to choose to surround yourself with. Each of them bring something to your life, each of them have a part of MY life. I love having them near, hearing them laugh, feeling their hugs, listening to their stories and making memories with them.
When these things happen, it makes my soul settle into this amazing happiness - brought on purely by their company.
So the fact that I like to cook and tend to do it well, that Real Simple and Pier One have taught me to create an inviting, warm atmosphere, it just all boils down to being a gift perhaps.
Something I can give to them for ALL they give to me.
My friends
Are Gifts.


This past weekend was ridiculous and is causing me to head to the barn, dust off the wagon, climb aboard and sit there until a horse comes and pulls me away. I should detail out the night but all you need to know was the send-off was done and done well! Now, where is that wagon. . . or right, I need to finish this story. Short term brain cells. . . Heeeeeere short term brain cells. . .



Thursday night. . . man o man Thursday night. Thursday night was my dear friend Jacob's going away party. My liver has fallen at the hands of this man more times than I can't count.
Jacob and I met in 1998 (I think, maybe it was 1999. It IS possible he caused me to lose an entire year!) He was a bartender at a la lucie's and when he moved down the road to Le Deauville, I of course followed. Over the past 10 years he has become one of my dearest friends. TEN years. That's a long time, longer than some marriages.
He's moving to a new town, new people, new job, new everything. I am so excited for him - but the selfish side of me is going to miss walking into that bar, sitting in my seat and having a talk with NOT a bartender, but my friend. Eight hours is a long way to drive for a drink; but a drink with a good friend makes it not seem that bad.
Good friends are hard to come by. When you find them - you never want them to go. No matter how much fun they're going to have.



Fittingly enough, that same evening, I said "hello" to two friends I hadn't seen in almost 1/2 a year.
It made me realize that some things just need to be forgiven and moved past; that hugs can heal better than any spoken words and that if all else fails. . . add wine! (and maybe some tequila!)
Indeed, good friends are hard to come by.
But they are worth the wait.



Friday night. . . well hell, Friday night was the Halloween Party, but this blog has turned out way sappier than I had anticipated so as to not ruin it, I'll write about Friday night - later.

But I will leave you with this!