This past Friday Centenary United Methodist Church hosted “Voices of Hope”, an event and a retreat weekend with Glennon Doyle Melton, well known author and blogger of “Momastery”.  I was honored to cater the dinner preceding the event on Friday night, a seated dinner for 100.  One hundred might sound daunting, and at times trust me, it felt like 500 hundred when I was on my own, but it was a very fun day and the dinner flowed smoothly as planned.  Quick timeout—-I can’t say enough how much the work of my wonderful helpers meant, and without them I truly would have felt like an earthworm drying on the sidewalk, thank you.  There is a lot of list making that goes into this, a lot of organizing, a lot of planning.  Down to the time the food goes into the oven to heat for dinner service, to exactly when the bread baskets go out to the table, to when the salads get set out, dressings get poured, the minute the first plate is plated…this is a science on a night like this.  This doesn’t cover a fraction of the job, and I’m not one to seek out sympathy for the ins and outs of a job that I love, we all have our own challenges.  Challenges are good for us, something to work for and to achieve.

In addition to the Friday night event, Saturday morning “me and my blue moose” were flattered to serve the brunch at Schiffman’s for the Junior League of Winton-Salem’s “Tour of Fine Spaces”.  (A small event that ranged in preparation from 200-300…piece of cake!)  So when does one prepare 400 petite ham biscuits for Saturday morning with a Friday night event as well?  Tuesday, of course!  Boy, this week was a S.C.I.E.N.C.E….biscuits and cheese wafers made and frozen Tuesday so they would be ready to bake off first thing Saturday morning, ready to roll.  Let’s put it this way, I am a morning person in every way but Saturday morning came very early, even for me.  The flow of the brunch was fabulous though, well worth the efforts and a joy to contribute to.

Now, all events are over  and the calm after the storm has arrived.  It began as I was served breakfast in bed this morning by my sweet children who wanted me to have the morning off.  They are the gift that keeps on giving.  Their gesture came from the heart and meant more than anything else.  It couldn’t be wrapped, couldn’t be bought.  Pure love from their heart.  They gave to me what they always see me give, and their show of love to me by making breakfast in bed spoke more than words ever could.  They are a breath of fresh air, and for no other reason than them, this week I am slowing it down.  You can bring on another snow storm for all I care…we will be happily watching the gorgeous snow blanket the ground one last time instead of complaining about a nature we can not control.  And if it is a cold rain instead, we will still be thankful.

May you enjoy the satisfaction that hard work brings, in whatever way it might apply to your life.  Enjoy, the best of food and life, now and always.

The pictures below are a glimpse of the fun involved in my week- enjoy the show!  Pictured in order from left to right: lots of lemon chicken marinating; find the “Sunshine” in your life; kitchen helpers Jamie Stacy and Amy Lawson on a “tartlet” assembly line; Kim Dameworth plating salad 21 of 101; beautiful set tables; great helpers; cleaning up; brunch at Schiffman’s; the fruit plate portion of my breakfast in bed.