D and I were invited to four weddings this summer. This was a record for us. They were all very different from each other.

The ceremony of the first was at our neighbourhood church. It was particularly meaningful for us as the couple attends our house church. The reception for the first nuptials took place in the elegant Fort Garry Hotel where the bride’s Mom and Dad also held theirs. The setting matched the couples’ chic style.

The food was classic and elegant. The speeches and dancing were a delight.

We were involved in the second wedding in a lovely and unique manner.

Sister #3 (aka Zest Cooking Solutions) was the caterer of the rehearsal dinner the evening before the nuptials.

We helped put out this delicious Greek dinner of lemon potatoes, moussaka, chicken souvlaki and peasant salad.

The second wedding also took place at our church and was another meaningful time. The bride is a singer and had assembled her friends to offer up a lovely layer to the ceremony.

The beginning of the reception was held outside at Pine Ridge Hollow where we arrived to the serenades of a jazz ensemble.

We were surprised and blessed to sit at the “Liverpool” table with family and guests from the groom’s city of birth.

At Pine Ridge the portions were country sized. The meal was hearty and delicious. Since it was a Sunday evening and our carload all had to work the next morning, we unfortunately had to leave after the speeches.

The third and fourth weddings occurred on the same weekend. The third wedding was of a nephew and all our family attended.

The ceremony was held in a shady spot next to a glorious canola field. This wedding was relaxed and had an authentic country feel.

The reception took place in this enormous tent that had been erected on the property of the bride’s family.

The bride’s family was Ukrainian and we enjoyed a delicious ethnic buffet dinner of perogies, cabbage rolls and all the fixings. Since we had to be up early to be back in the city for the fourth wedding, we couldn’t stay terribly late. We heard the reception went on until the wee hours of the morning.

The fourth wedding also held at our church was an absolutely joy. The bride and groom were ecstatic that the big day had finally arrived and their enthusiasm simply poured over the rest of us. The church music was rocking and made the ceremony itself a whole lot of fun.

The reception venue was my first time to Hawthorne Estates. With their rural setting and rustically elegant room, I hope to return on other occasions.

1919 by Little Brown Jug (where our son is the head brewer) was the exclusive beer and we were touched by the honour and enjoyed it immensely.

The delicious buffet dinner had been prepared by the groom himself (a professional chef). You could taste the love with every bite.

For dessert the groom arranged for a Belgium friend to prepare us waffles with all the trimmings. I was so anxious to tuck in that my photo turned out blurry! Formal festivities were over quickly so we had a chance to join in the dancing and still make it home at a reasonable time.

In each case, D and I were blessed and honoured to be part of the celebrations.

Kath’s quotes: “Faith makes all things possible. Love makes all things easy.” -Dwight Moody

Love never fails.

Recently I received a late in the evening email asking if I would care to attend a luncheon at the Fort Garry Hotel the next day. A friend had been invited to attend at a sponsored table and asked if I would like to come along as well. The detail that our lunch was already paid for didn’t even matter as the invite would provide an opportunity to visit with this friend and enjoy the fabulous food of the Fort Garry Hotel.

When I arrived I realized that I would be exclusively in the company of women, a pleasure I truly love. Whether it be my daughters, my sisters or the “Media Mavens” I love the company of women. In fact one of the Mavens was unexpectedly there as well as a number of old friends. It was a truly lovely assembly of beautiful females.

The chicken and poached vegetable salad was simply exquisite, enhanced by hazelnuts and goats’ cheese. The inclusion of fennel and beets were lovely and the chicken breast was perfectly prepared.

While we finished up with gorgeous fresh fruit tarts, the Manager of Volunteers, Spiritual Care and Development began to share her personal story as well as the reason she is so devoted to the work of Jocelyn House Hospice.

I was very moved by her story, partially because I am about to have my 2 year cancer check up (there but by the grace of God go I), but also because of how inspiring Jacqueline’s personal journey was.

I am what is known as a “fixer”, always wanting to solve the problems of those I love, even when they might quite simply need only a sympathetic ear. That’s the down side of being a fixer. The upside is that I really feel compelled to contribute my time to the work of Jocelyn House in some way. Right now I am trying to discern in what manner.

In the mean while, I will continue to gravitate to the company of women, in beautiful places, sharing lovingly prepared food.

Kath’s quote: “The best kind of friendships are fierce lady friendships where you aggressively believe and defend each other and think the other deserves the world.” -Ashley Hall

Love never fails.

We were out for dinner one evening and as things quieted in the restaurant, the owner/chef came over to have a glass of wine with us. I asked him where he and his partner go after a full evening in their restaurant. The answer surprised me a little-the Palm Room at the Fort Garry Hotel.

We had often visited the beautifully restored room for a drink before or after an event at the hotel but it hadn’t occurred to us to make the bar our destination for the evening.

Even though it was early on a Saturday evening and we had been reassured when I called ahead, that there would be room, there was not a single seat available.

The wait wasn’t terribly long though and soon we were seated with a glass of wine and our favourite cold local craft beer on their way. While our drinks were en route, we listened to the songs of the piano man, a lovely bonus to the evening.

We had come from a Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre matinee and still had another stop that evening, so we decided to order light. We had recently visited Portugal and got into the habit of ordering seafood every chance we could get. The only shrimp selection on the menu were dumplings which we thought a bit odd, until we tasted them.

Rivaling authentic har gow that we select when we are at a dim sum restaurant, they were delicate and perfectly steamed so that the seafood almost had a crunch.

I am completely hooked on any dish that has truffle oil as an ingredient. This inauspicious wild mushroom burger was fabulous with white truffle aioli and creamy Havarti. Even the bun was delectable as my husband and I pledged an oath to never settle for a Kaiser hamburger bun again. So too, the fries were exceptional-starting with a high quality potato and I suspect the use of a double-frying method.

The room itself provides one of the most pleasant ambiences in the city. The service was top-notch and everything from start to finish was perfection. Who knew?

Kath’s quote: “All food is the gift of the gods and has something of the miraculous, the egg no less than the truffle.”-Sybille Bedford

Love never fails.