Dear Friends,
I don’t know who said this, but surely it’s true: “Good friends are the rare jewels of life . . . difficult to find and impossible to replace!” In my heart of hearts I feel grateful for all of my friends, and especially our Gourmet Girls group. I’ve mentioned this before, I’m sure, but we’ve been together for 20 plus years and supported each other through thick and thin. We’ve been witness to divorce and separation, child bearing and birth, loss of parents, personal and business successes, reinventing ourselves, and, yes, even writing our Gourmet Girls Go Camping cookbook.
Last year during the holidays, our community was devastated by fire and mudslides, some of it a blur to me now because of the horror of it all. There weren’t any celebratory goings on. Everything seemed surreal. But as always, we bounce back, share hope, and continue to support each other. This year, the GGs celebrated Christmas and some of us were together ringing in the New Year.
When we get together for a Christmas celebration, we pull out all the plugs. This year, Gourmet Girl Lyn hosted a dinner at her lovely home, set a beautiful table, and cooked a delicious duck!
One of the most exciting part of our Christmas gathering is always the White Elephant Gift Exchange. This year was no exception.
Invariably, someone always brings up “the eggplant.” To make a long story short, the gift originated with me. I had this eggplant in a frame for reasons I choose to forget and brought it to one of our gatherings. It made the rounds for a few years and then fell off the face of the earth. I like to think it made its way to some flea market where someone bought it for their White Elephant exchange. LOL!
Okay, what are they conspiring about? “Should I keep it or give it up?” Eventually, things get a little sober and we check in with each other on what we wish to leave behind from 2018 and change in the coming year. It’s a heartfelt exchange of ideas and feelings and we are family. No judgments are passed and we relish the dessert that Seyburn brought and finally say our goodbyes. It’s been a very special evening.
Cut to New Year’s Eve day. Gourmet Girl Maury carries on the tradition she and her deceased husband, Mike, started eons ago for family and friends. It’s a tradition for many in Santa Barbara to gather at Butterfly Beach to watch the last sunset of the year. This year was spectacular and more crowded than I’ve ever seen it.
Here is Maury with Billy Goodnick. It’s Billy’s first time at this “event” because usually he’s got a gig on New Year’s Eve, being the drummer in the fab dance band King Bee.
Gourmet Girl Yvonne and her husband Gary.
The last sunset of the year always has me thinking about what I’ve accomplished in 2018 and wondering (wonder is a good thing!) what the next year will bring. A dear client/friend of mine suggested writing a letter to yourself as if you’ve lived 2019 already, then checking in to it now and then. I’m going to sign off now and do just that!
Wishing you the very best in the coming year! Please let us know how you celebrated the holiday and what you hope to bring into your life in 2019 here.
Cheers,
Gail, Denise and Lindsey
#gourmetgirlsonfire