Tuesday, December 18, 2018

A WEEKEND WITH FRIENDS

I have told variations of this story in other posts, but for several years now I have been going to the opera with a group of friends.  We met at a British shop I found myself working at, where I went for lunch one day and was offered a job.  I had the right accent I suppose. As most often happens when I get out of my comfort zone, I had to be talked into it. My sister was visiting at the time and I had taken her to lunch.  She told me I would be mad to say no, that if she could she would take the job.  So after listening to her off and on for a week, we went back for another lunch and when asked again, this time I said yes. I talked with the owner for twenty minutes or so, and by the end of it I agreed to start in a few days after my sister had gone home, with the proviso that this would be a trial run.  I ended up staying for several years and I met these ladies.  The shop eventually closed but our friendship has remained, and we all have a love for opera.  

We saw La Traviata last Saturday. We go to our local theater and watch a live televised performance from the New York Metropolitan Opera House.  Beautiful!  However, I fell asleep during the first act. The chairs are like a lazy-boy, where the head rest goes down and the foot rest comes up.  Listening to the music and in the darkened theater, already feeling very sleepy from the night before, I have occasionally been lulled into a comfortable snooze.  I am not alone as at one time or another we occasionally hear a few snores from our fellow opera lovers out in the darkness.  Those lazy-boys you know?

We came back home and my friends stayed the night.  We have dinner, a couple of glasses of wine, and chat until one to two o'clock in the morning, always looking at the clock in surprise and invariably saying where did the time go?  (Gregg leaves us hours earlier to go watch a game upstairs).  This has been a pattern for a whole lot of years, once a month during opera season, sometimes twice, and in the summer months we go do other things.

As it isn't long before the holidays, one of my friends, the lady in the red sweater brought a Christmas Pudding and set it alight.  It was a fine ending to a very nice meal (the main course being cooked by Gregg after we got home from the opera).
Our friend was told by her culinary friend to use Vodka to set the pudding alight, because it gives a more vibrant flame.  Holly leaves and berries from her garden to go on top, and a delicious rum butter to serve with it.  It was all delicious and a very pretty show.
So, there you go, that was our weekend.  A good time with friends is always a gift isn't it?

Thanks for stopping by.

  

26 comments:

  1. It sounds absolutely wonderful. Definitely a gift - added to my Gregg. Who is also a gift.

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    1. I read him your message EC, you made his day :)

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  2. What wonderful times you have with these friends. And also how great that you did not drift apart, as so many seem to do. I wish you many many more years of opera and great visits. I love the reflection of the wine on the table!

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    1. They are a true blessing Ginny, and we often say how we feel like a family. Thank you so much for your sweet comment.

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  3. I felt quite envious reading this, Denise. Friendships these days don't seem as long lasting. I smiled at the thought of falling asleep in the theatre.

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    1. Hi Valerie, well I never thought I would do that but they made those chairs just too darned comfortable :)

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  4. instead of its a wonderful life, you can say I have wonderful friends. sounds like you all had a great time and I would love to set fire to a dessert, but never have, or even seen one. I do love FIRE ..

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    1. I know you set fire to your candles Sandra, I love to see those photos. Something about looking into the flames that is really mesmerizing :)

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  5. How lovely, Denise, to have kindred spirits share in your life. It's nice to hear how you all met. And the Christmas pudding looks divine. Yes, good friends are gifts! ♥

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    1. Thank you Martha Ellen, it was a delicious pudding and yes, always :) I love your little hearts at the end of your comments by the way. Silly question maybe, how do you make those on your keyboard?

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  6. what a great friendship where it carries on for many years.

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  7. Good to have friends like that. My mother loved the opera.

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    1. How lovely that your mother was an opera lover William, I felt an instant connection to her.

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  8. What a lovely get together with good friends!

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  9. How lovely to spend time like this …
    Sounds wonderful.

    All the best Jan

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    1. We always have a great time, thank you Christine.

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  10. Hi Denise,
    Certainly appears you had a super get together with your friends and nearly saw the opera, that is one of my favourites but I have never managed to sleep through part of it.
    All the best, John

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    1. Thanks John, I am going to take a throw rug with me next time ;)

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  11. So lovely! Feels like we're invited

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  12. How wonderful to keep these friendships alive and well. Sounds like a great weekend.

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