Celebrating Friendship

A few years ago at Camp Shamrock (a summer camp for the youth) during a bible class, we asked the campers to draw a picture of "something they couldn't live without". As I started to think about it, I struggled to think of something I literally couldn't live without. There's obviously the more "shallow" mod-cons that I love and don't like to do without - bed, shower, central heating, car etc. There then the deeper thought of loved ones, for instance a newly wed that summer drew a picture of her husband. At that time I had recently been through the breakdown of my marriage - I knew I could literally live without my ex-husband because I had to and I was. Likewise, as much as I love my family members and friends, if someone passed away, I knew that I would be able to live without them - I would be in pain, but I would still be able to live. So what couldn't I literally live without? After a bit of time I decided that I couldn't live without my support network: my family and friends spread out in the States and the UK - I don't think I could make it through life all alone in the world.


I enjoy life and God has truly blessed me. I'm happy and content. Over the last few years though, I've had a lot of "less happy" times. Sometimes it's hard to find anything good with through all the rubbish around you. My friends and family have supported and helped me through my rougher times and I wanted to say thanks. This all sparked my Wednesday evening gathering to celebrate my friends:

I wish I could have invited more people, I wish I could have had all of my friends and family together, but distance and time prevent this. I did have a good "gaggle" of ladies that turned up and created a fun and memorable evening. Most of the people that descended on my flat were from work. London being London with it's busy and time consuming transport system, a lot of people found it easier to come straight from work. So from around 5pm people started showing up (if you can imagine me running around like a headless chicken trying to get ready - there was much of this going on).

A few early arrivers

I got home in time to have a shower and get dressed before the buzzer started ring with arrivals. Which was great - there's not a lot worse than waiting around for people to arrive. Plus I had lots of extra hands to help me prepare food and such!

Mary watching the stove for me

Amy, Helen, Cate, Mary, Vicki, Jess & Tesca enjoying a good natter before dinner was served

Dinner was Mexican Hats - a childhood favourite of mine, and a great / easy meal to prepare for large groups of people. Mexican Hats are basically a Tex-Mex build your own salad. Yum yum!

Mary & Becky building their Mexican Hats

I found it slightly amusing that the conversation pretty much died as soon as people had food to eat. (I also found it complimentary that the food was good - either that or it was so bad that people struggling so much to eat it that they couldn't make conversation at the same time. Hmm. I'll stick with the complimentary version!)

Hayley, Jess, and Claire
Amy, Helen, Cate & Mary (sheesh, I think Mary managed to sneak in every photo!)

Tesca, Amy & Helen

Food eaten there was more chatting - there were 18 women in one room what else would you expect?!

Cate & Clare

Vicki, Kelli & Mary B

Lindsay & I

Something else I was amused with, and loved, was that we ended up in one big circle instead of little groups here and there chatting amongst each other.

Starting at the bottom centre (with Tesca's back): Tesca, Claire, Helen, Cate, Clare, Vicki, Kelli, Mary B, Becky, Hayley, Lindsay & Jess

This gathering/party originally began as a champagne & cake party, so after the Mexican hats had time to settle, it was onto the champers. I love and am equally terrified of opening champagne bottles ...

as you can see from the face I pull while opening a bottle

pouring champagne

still pouring - it takes a while to pour for 18! (You can also see the scrummy chocolate cake at the bottom of this picture.)

It was a fabulous evening with the girlies, and to top it all off as I took out the rubbish around 1:30am it was snowing! I LOVE snow! What a wonderful end to the evening. Now Thursday morning was slightly less wonderful - I was seriously sleep deprived! (So sleep deprived, in fact, that I was asleep in bed before 9pm! That never happens to this insomniac!)

To my family, friends and support network that are too far away to have come Wednesday night:

Thank you! Thank you for being a part of my life!! Thank you for your love and support! I love you and miss you often!