Christmas with Girlfriends

Tonight was the annual Christmas party with girlfriends. My two friends, M and M, and I have gotten together with the spouses and children for the past several years. However many years it's been since Hurricane Katrina, that's how many years we have been getting together, as M came to town as a Kat refugee. She swooped into town and took it by storm, enchanting everyone she met. A neighbor asked me to give her a call as she thought we would hit it off, so I did. We made a coffee date and I lugged along M as I thought the three of us would make a good trio. We did -- met for coffee every week for a year, then transitioned to weekly evening wine when one or the other of us had a job. 

We meet at M's house, the M with two Asian girls, and we all bring in food and wine. We bring gifties for the other gfs and for the children. We have wine, the kids have Jones soda, and we chat and eat while the kids flip and play and make tunes on the piano. Then we eat, and then at the end, we all open gifts. The husbands eat and observe. One of the M's does not have a husband and fortunately M's husband and mine get along well. They are both the sorts who could get along with anyone. M's husband. R.  is a copyright attorney, and works mostly with musicians; his own father was a professional musician in NYC as R was growing up. R himself is a bit of a musician, so of course he and DH have much in common. 

Tonight due to scheduling we had h'ors deuvres instead of dinner, and M had to leave early. Our fam stayed on and we all talked and laughed. It got late and M made pasta and garlic and we ate like starving people. DH and R made music, DH alternating between violin, guitar and harmonica, and R alternating betw piano and guitar. Oh, it was grand. M actually said her home has never been so alive. The men played blues and rock & roll and R&B. I never knew they could sound so great together. 

M is a writer as well, and I gave her "The Courage to Write" by Ralph Keyes. She gave me a gift basket from Dean & Deluca including a great apron to wear on photography days. 

At 9 we said our goodbyes and stepped into the quiet outdoors.  Her gay Chinese lanterns in the front yard lighted our way out her picket fence and we headed home.