This afternoon marked the first meeting of The Ladies who Lunch. Okay, perhaps the moniker is all mine, but nonetheless, some female friends and I gathered in the Burrow this afternoon for a midday meal, so it seems appropriate pending a better name…

Unfortunately, we started the afternoon down a quarter of the group. Julia is in Texas where her mom is in the hospital recuperating from surgery on her brain. But since we couldn’t make her mom better by postponing our lunch, we decided to carry on with our plans anyway.

So Sarah and Susan came over to share some food with me, which meant Rudi and I had to do a winter cleaning of the apartment, which is always a good thing.

I whipped up a broccoli quiche (one of two or three entrées I’m capable of making) and a salad and bought some sourdough bread, which combined nicely with Susan’s French mushrooms. Sarah is noted for her yummy desserts, so when she volunteered to make one for lunch, I jumped at the opportunity. She made fantastic chocolate cupcakes based on her grandmother’s recipe (and was generous enough to bring two for each of us!). (Thanks, Sarah!)

We ate, we laughed, we talked books and politics, we traded doctors’ and dentists’ names… (I explained to Rudi this is why he wasn’t allowed to stay; he had no uterus and therefore was unable to contribute to the discussion on pelvic exams…) In general, it was a lovely afternoon, darkened only by Julia’s absence.

Julia, we missed you and hope your mom is on the road to recovery. I know she is all the better for having you in Texas, rather than here. (Btw, Susan ate your slice of quiche and I had your cupcake. They were delicious, if we do say so ourselves.)