A Wonderful Friday with the A Team

I must explain the A Team to new readers.  We are 4 couples who were neighbors for years.  We liked cooking and going to progressive dinners.  So we formed a group that met every now and then to eat good food, talk, laugh, and enjoy the wines poured.  After a few gatherings we realized we were a special lucky group of friends.  We loved each other and had become a family.  Even though three couples moved out of the neighborhood, one clear to Texas, we still get together.  Friday for the first time in 5 years, all 4 couples were together.

Here is our A Team selfie.  For those who don't know me except through this blog, I am the lady in glasses and a good wig.

A lunch was set up so that I wouldn't be tired.  By dinner time my energy level is falling.  We had appetizers, which Marty and I forgot to photograph.  We were too busy eating Pigs in a Blanket, and Deviled eggs.  Champagne and other great wines were poured.  I had a little bit of Champagne.

A beautiful and tasty soup was our first course.  It was a sweet corn with crab and basil on top. Delicious!

A close up of the soup.  Place cards were pictures of each guest.  The table was glass, so the wood you see is really the floor.

Our main course was ham, asparagus, and cheese grits. Being a Southern Belle, the grits were my favorite of this course.

Hank plating an almond tart with whipped cream.  This was my favorite dish of the meal.  It was exquisite, lovely to the eye and perfection on the tongue.  Great job by Thom!

A close up of my plate.  Trust me the tart and whipped cream did not last long on my plate.

The lunch started at noon, and we left to go home after 6:00.  Just what did we do for all that time you ask.

This picture of Hank and Thom says it all.  We laughed like fools.  We took pictures, we told what we had been doing, and we talked about our favorite A Team moments.  It was a wonderful Friday.

I was so lucky that I could be with these friends.  Everyone was healthy so I could have hugs and kisses.  No mask needed that day.  We talked about my health, and I was upfront that even with hope, Marty and I have to be realistic.  So with the laughter, there were a few tears.  This was a safe place for us to share and feel the love.  And days like Friday help me to be "normal".  Except as I told the A Team, no one would say we are a normal group of people.

Christmas party with the A Team

We have a group of friends who meet over food.  We call ourselves the A Team.  Long story that probably years ago I explained.  We all love good food and enjoying cooking.  Last week we gathered for food and for the love of each other.  Out Texas friends didn't make the party.  We have our finger crossed they will join us this summer.

The food is important, but the fellowship is what it really is about.  We have been through illnesses, deaths, moves, hard times, just about everything life could throw at us.  We stand together with love.  We sometimes get ticked at each other, we bitch about how someone does something, we forgive and forget.  But heaven help anyone else who tries to hurt one of us.  We are a family, we can pick on one of us, but no one else can hurt us.

Our party was wine, more wine and wonderful small plates.  Lots of food, love, and laughter.  I got permission to have a little wine and to taste some of the decadent food.

 

Our host Lew and some great food: spiced nuts, asparagus with aioli sauce, roasted cauliflower, deviled eggs, and more food to come.  And that is my glass of champagne.

I told you we laughed a lot.  Hank on left Thom on the right.  Usually Thom isn't in candid pictures because he takes all the pictures.

 

 

My country ham puffs.

 

 

Hostess Nancy placing  poached pears in a cabbage soup.  Yummy!

 

 

The beautiful table

 

 

Yucky picture of a fabulous dish.  This quesadilla was one of the best I have ever had.  Duck confit with incredible salsa.  We are still waiting for you all to share the recipe Lew and Nancy.  

 

 

Sinfully delicious!  Chocolate on chocolate with caramel and sea salt.  Thank you Hank and Thom for shooting my diet all to hell.

 

 

Hank and I have just said, . . .    well I won't go there.  Much laughter ensued. 

 

 

Nancy and me saying good bye.

 

It was a lovely party.  Good food and wine, good conversation, lots of laughter, and very special friends.  Love you A Team.  

 

 

 



More Weddings from Wednesday

My last post was about an immigration wedding. It was not a happy post. Today's post has happier weddings, interesting clothing choices, and love in the room.

The first wedding the bride was hugely pregnant.  She and the witness would have looked better in thin white dresses.  They both wore tops that just covered their waists.  And they both wore black tights, not even leggings, tights.  We are talking butt crack, camel toe, and nothing left to the imagination.

Then we had the plus sized woman with the humongous breasts.  Her top was open to nearly her waist, and her breasts swung loose.  Yes, swung.  No bra. Marriage Desk Clerk D said she didn't know where to look while doing the paper work for the couple.  It was not a pretty sight.

Now these couples were greatly in love.  We had tears, we had laughter, we had hugs of love.  If you are in love what you wear doesn't matter.  D and I may want to pull our eyes out, but love is the important thing.

The next couple was afraid they weren't dressed appropriately. The wedding was a last minute thing. This couple could wear feed sacks and look great.  They were both beautiful people.  They looked as if they should be in Paris.  They were wearing skinny jeans, turtles neck sweaters and gorgeous black coats.  They had two nieces with them, along with other family.  The bride combined two of our silk flower bouquets to hold during the ceremony.  The little girls (who were around 7 years old) were to come up during the vows, each take a bouquet, and then sit back down.  They were to return the bouquets to the bride after the ceremony.  They came up when I told them, and then each girl took a bouquet, stepped to the left of the bride and stood there.  Each girl was holding the flowers at her waist as I had told the bride to.  They wanted to be part of the ceremony, and we left them there.  They were so cute standing like bridesmaids.

My last couple was dressed to the teeth.  The groom wore a black suit and the bride wore a black and white satin ruched sheath.  The strapless bodice was white and the high waisted skirt was black.

Their daughter was around a year old.  She wore a pink knit dress with kittens on the skirt., pink tights, and pink boots.  This child was so pretty.  She had little curls all around her face.   About half way through the ceremony she started giggling and laughing. What a lovely sound, a laughing child.  Except laughter and giggles are contagious.  I nearly bit a hole in my check to get through the ceremony.  Others lost it.  When I pronounced the couple married, the whole room erupted in laughter. 

Three sentences and you're married

Monday I was fairly busy doing marriage ceremonies.  Some made me feel good, one was just sad, so very sad.

The couple and her mother were the total wedding party.  When I asked if they had rings the bride answered shortly, with a big NO.  Do you have your own vows and she said, "We don't want any vows.  We just want you to sign the license so we can leave."  OK, can't do that.  I told them they had to go through the 3 legal sentences.  All through this the groom is sitting on a pew with his head in his hands.  He looked like he was going to cry.  I then asked if the mother was going to take pictures, bride again with a no.  They don't want pictures.  The mother then looked like she was going to cry.

I sat down beside the groom and asked him what he wanted for his wedding.  He tried to talk, but was over ridden by the bride. I talked the bride into letting her mother take pictures,  I told her she could always delete them, but Mother wanted pictures. 

I then did the do you . . .   do you . . .  and I now pronounce you . . .  Who knows why the bride has so much anger and why the groom is so whipped and so sad.  I may have no endings, but this one sure looks like failure in the making.

The next couple made up for all the sadness of the above wedding.  The bride is adorable.  She wore a short black strapless chiffon dress.  It had a tight bodice, a mocha sash, and a full skirt.  She wore black 4 in heels.  The guests were so fun.  There were three young men who were having the best time.  They were snapping pictures a mile a minute.  Teasing the bride, laughing, lots of love for the couple going on.  There is a point during the ceremony where the bride's bouquet ( she carried one of our silk flowers bouquets) is in the way.  I designated one of the young men to take the flowers at that point as the flower "boy".  He was thrilled and played his part.  He took the bouquet at the proper time and held it like a bridesmaid through out the ceremony.  He reluctantly gave the flowers back to the bride for pictures.  So much laughter and love in the room.

Later this week more weddings, some from Monday and hopefully some from today.

Have a very happy Thanksgiving!