Well, Christmas is over, but the festivities are not! Crossing my fingers in hopes that the weather will cooperate this week, and I’ll be able to attend two annual holiday events that are always full of merriment and camaraderie – get togethers with longtime friends with whom I have a history.

Tomorrow night is supposed to be my book club’s holiday dinner, dubbed the traditional salmon feast and winter solstice celebration. Last year we rescheduled three times, and finally gave up. It just wouldn’t have been the same in July. I ended up handing out the cute little individual gourmet teas I’d purchased as party favors at a random book club meeting several months later. Not the same at all.

On Friday, I’m supposed to have lunch with three friends I used to work with in corporate America. We bonded twenty-plus years ago over bad bosses and a ridiculous working environment – oh, and words. As writers and editors, we have common talents and interests. Now we have so many experiences in common. Kids and college are some big ones. Many years ago we went our separate ways, but we’ve kept up our annual holiday luncheon. We try to kick off spring with a Mother’s Day lunch, and until recently, we added in a family summertime event. Alas, the kids are almost all grown now and the last summer soiree was just us girls and spouses.

The forecast for Friday is a wintry mix. Temperatures are supposed to plummet. Our event is to take place at least thirty minutes away (that’s on a good day). We’ve rescheduled twice, and I’m hoping the bakery will indulge me one more time when I call tomorrow and change the date for the required chocolate dessert I’ve had on order. But mostly I’m hoping we can make our little get-together happen. I’m looking forward to laughing over the memories and stories that will undoubtedly surface, and to hearing updates on the college kids. And this year, for the first time, to hear about wedding plans. The first of our children is engaged.
More memories to be made. Fingers crossed!