The GSO Girl's Christmas Party

Well, the diet isn't going very well. I do realize that the holidays aren't the best time to diet. I have shed one pound, which is pretty good considering all the Thanksgiving food I managed to consume. I am trying to do well because.......

It is Dec. 1st with 24 days left until Christmas. In a few days I will go to a party in Greensboro with a group of women I worked with years ago. I call us the "Greensboro Girls" although none of us could ever qualify as "girls" again and only one of the six lives in Greensboro.

What a diverse group of women we are.

There is Helen, originally from Holland. I talked about her in the post called "Some Girl Talk." She is a gourmet cook. She has things like truffle oil in her kitchen! I am so impressed! Helen cooks everything from scratch and doesn't bat an eye. She has her own business, works full time, entertains, takes care of her grandchildren, and scrapbooks. She is amazing.

Becky may be the oldest, but she is the youngest in spirit. She is also amazing! Works rings around people half her age, is always doing or cooking something for someone, in fact, I'll bet she has fried a ton of chicken in her life. Does her own yard work too. She is little but mighty. Becky always brings dessert. What a great baker she is, although she always complains that we fill up on the meal and won't eat dessert, so.... we are eating heavy hors d'oeuvres and LOTS of dessert.

My diet will suffer and so will my thighs!

Marie has recently moved from a lovely, large house to a smaller, easier to manage beautiful home. Downsizing has enabled her to expand her social life. She is in a retirement community that anyone of any age would love. Swimming pools, bridge games, dining rooms and on and on. Lots of fun things to do. She loves it. One of Marie's special dishes is sweet potato souffle- to die for!

Janet is a tiny little lady but feisty as can be. She is sort of the glue that holds this group together. She has objected to being the "plan maker" of the group but continues to do it because we think she should. She is a steadfast friend, one of those people who are always there for you, no matter what the circumstance. Janet is the center of her family also. There isn't anything she wouldn't do for a friend or family and she makes a heck of a shrimp mold.

Tricia is a whirl wind with red hair. She is always on the go, sings in the choir at church, loves to decorate for every holiday and event. She makes the best french onion soup and pimento cheese ever, but it is her decorating skills which delights us. We are always blown over by Tricia's style. She is the hostess with the mostess!

I live in another state- but close enough that I can travel once in awhile to see everyone. I miss not being close enough to go out to lunch or go shopping at the drop of a hat but I manage to see the girls several times a year, especially our annual Christmas party. The girls gave me a lovely bridal luncheon at a tea room before I married Andy four years ago. We had tea, scones and wonderful little finger sandwiches. Then I moved away, but not too far and.... there is always the phone!

We have been through a lot together, this band of sisters. Whether it be births, marriages, deaths or illness, we are there for one another. The good, the bad and the ugly hair days, we were there.

We have taken some memorable trips over the years. The North Carolina beaches have felt our presence many times. We have danced the chicken dance (with the help of a margarita or two) in Myrtle Beach and not everyone can say that! We have boiled and eaten pounds and pounds of shrimp. The hours spent playing Taboo and spoons are legendary. We also got kicked out of the parking lot of our hotel in Myrtle Beach after singing our theme song (Friends by John Denver) and I guess we got a little loud. But.... the acoustics were really good in that parking garage. We were leaving anyway. We do have our little coffee arguments though.... two of us like coffee as thick as mud.... that would NOT be me. And.... some of us snore... but, I won't go there.

One trip to Abbingdon, VA was lots of fun. Janet drove her big van. We stopped at every gift store, boutique, festival and pottery along the way. Tricia was decorating a new house and needed lamps, among other accessories, and found two beauties at one shop. We loaded the car and all climbed back on board and someone started laughing. We all turned around to the third seat in the van. There sat little Becky with packages piled all around her, under her feet and a lampshade on her head. The car was loaded to the gills. We saw the play Oklahoma at the Barter Theatre (Marie slept through the whole thing) and ate dinner at The Martha Washington Inn. There is a live-in (sort of) ghost there and I want to go back, spend a night and see it. Tricia does too. The rest are chicken.

So, at our annual Christmas party this week, we will all bring food, dessert and wine. We will play the dirty Santa game, and will actually grab the best gift if necessary- dirty is the name of the game, right? We will catch up with each others lives, family, challenges, good and bad times. It is a relaxing time with old friends, a tradition; with good food and, most of all, sisterly love.