FRIENDSHIP FEAST

I don't know how it is where you are, but it is cold here.  I mean COLD!  Can you say COLD?  I woke up a little bit ago and can't go back to sleep because I am so cold.  I looked at the thermometer and it is 5*F. (-15*C.) with a wind chill of -15*F. (-26*C). It looks so much worse in Celsius.  The heat is on, the space heater is going full blast and I can't get the house warm.  Oh, the joys of living in an old house.  I saw on the news that it is a Code Blue so all the homeless people have been moved off of the streets so they don't freeze to death.  I feel so badly for all the stray cats I feed.  I would take them in but they are feral and won't come anywhere near a human.

Our midweek services have already been cancelled at church because of the predicted weather.  It's just too cold.  I have cold induced asthma and had two attacks today just going from the car to the church several times.  Not fun.  I just have to move to someplace warmer!

I said on Saturday that we got just a dusting of snow.  I spoke too soon.  Overnight we got about an inch (maybe two -- I'm no good at measurements) of snow.  I had to clean off the car before I could go to church.  At least it was light and fluffy.


Of course on one of the coldest days of the year we had our Friendship Feast.  We have all been inviting people (our friends) for weeks and it was so cold that the only one who showed up was my friend Carol.  Otherwise, it was all church people.  We have to do this again in the summer.  Joe wasn't feeling well, so I had to take him home after church, get him into bed, and then go back to church.  He tries so hard to do things, but he just isn't well these days.

All the food was fantastic.  Can you believe I didn't take one picture?  I was so busy having a good time that I forgot all about my camera.  But that's OK.  I made 5 lbs. of potato salad this morning.  Then I took a canned ham, sliced it down, drizzled it with a brown sugar and dijon mustard glaze and put it in my crockpot.  By the time I got back to the luncheon the ham was half gone.  Anne made the best green bean casserole.  Genny made a great beef stew.  Cherie made homemade chicken noodle soup.  There were salads, chicken wings, sloppy joes, and for dessert cupcakes, cheesecake and pies.  We were all stuffed.

Before we began eating Pastor Justin told us to look under our chairs for a pink heart doily.  There were door prizes.  Caity, Anne and I all had the doilies.  We got little bags of Lindt chocolate truffles.

Carol and I hadn't seen each other in so long.  It was great catching up with her.  We are going to have lunch when it gets warmer -- whenever that will be.

All in all it was a fun day.  Now I think I will get back under my covers and try to get a little more sleep.