Friendship Brunch

I WAS going to take pictures but had too much fun to remember it. My friend Doc came up on Wednesday and brought Roxy - her poodle. She lives in this beautiful High Rise in Buckhead (2 floors down from Elton John) and I love going to visit her there but when she comes to the "country" Roxy gets to run free in the yard. And THAT is a beautiful sight! She always has to go out on a leash in the doggie yard so at first she doesn't know what to do then she just takes off and runs and runs! All the girls enjoyed their "playdate" and we had NO ugly pants at all. I had such a good time planning this - just me and Doc and Kenny got to join us for lunch. I put the white table cloth on the deck table - used my Blue and White china, white napkins, and beautiful Hybisscus flowers I cut from my bush. And I had 3 blue and white china balls just lying on the table. A little side story about my Hybisscus Bush - my favorite Aunt Tady had these bushes when I was growing up (we called them snowball bushes) and I always loved them. Tady passed away in 1962 but my Uncle Terrill lived there until he was 91. After his death, his granddaughter and I went and dug up some cutting from the bush. I planted my at the back of the house not knowing if it would ever grow. It did and is sooo pretty. I have 2 more in the yard that I bought but of course this is my favorite. AND my mother tells that Tady got HER cutting of the bush from their Grandmother Forrest - my great-grandmother! So how about that for some family history. I have my favorite Aunt's bush from my great-grandmother! I love my Snowball Bush! Back to the Brunch I searched the internet and we have a Mexican Fiesta Brunch. Of course, I had homemade salsa, quamocole (sp) and tortilla roll up with cream cheese, roasted red peppers and onions, Avacodo Shrimp Boats with Pico and shrimp with lime juice. then I baked a Chilli Relleno dish and had a hot corn cheese melt salsa with chips. It was really good and fairly simple. Oh, I had to make my favorite cherry cream cheese pie for desert too. But the best part was just sitting on the deck with Doc and us talking and catching up and just being friends. There is nothing like this and I treasure all my friends so much. I don't have the time I would like to do this kind of thing so when it happens I just roll around in the happiness. Damn, I wish I had taken pictures - I will next time. Christy, you would have loved the table - I thought of you! Now, I'm packed and it's off to Columbus for the weekend. I've had this Yuk in my throat and chest this week - hope my voice will last but at least we have the big band this weekend - lots of vocal power - I love that. And our "Tower of Power" songs are coming along great and everyone loves "Stairway to Heaven"! I got my words and I'm going to sing "America the Beautiful" for the shows - Ray Charles version - love that one! It's to honor all the soldiers who have given their lives for us to be free - especiall two My Daddy, Richard Claiborne Hemphill, Army Air Corp and Bob Trinklein, Kenny's Daddy, Army. God Bless Them and God Bless America....