A Birthday Surprise

I am so grateful for this little spot on the net.

Especially after nights like last night.

The Carpoolqueen is such a sweet and true friend and I knew I wanted to celebrate her birthday in some way, but with the holidays, I figured it would be too hard to get together.

But plans change....and getting together was not only possible, but was totally do-able!

So that's what we did.

I kidnapped her (but not before calling her to tell her I was lost in her hood, and "could you help me get to your house so I can kidnap you?")

Then I had to stall her for an hour and a half. Because reservations weren't until 7:30.

Now, if you have a secret? I can keep it til the cows come home....but if you have a surprise? Well, all bets are off. Sometimes my excitement can get the best of me and I have a hard time containing myself.

All was fine and good, and we stopped by a restaurant to have a pre-dinner glass of wine.

I learned that when surprising people you should always have something on the stomach. Because you may or may not take three sips of wine (and feel like a very cheap date), and have to ask your kidnappee to drive to the next destination. Only to arrive 10 minutes early.

Then you might have to think of some reason to sit in your car for 10 minutes in the cold parking lot, because your co-conspirators may, or may not, be seated yet...

Heather, Sandy, Gretchen, and Amy were ready and waiting (dressed in black!) when we arrived.

And I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief that all had gone according to plan.

There was laughing, and presents and tasting of Key Lime Pie and Creme Brulee...

I even got home without getting lost.

CPQ - Happiest of happy birthdays my friend...may God bless you and keep you. And may you grow even closer to Him and those you love in the years to come! Thanks for celebrating with us!

Meeting Kristin

If I could give one of my top reasons I love blogging so much, it would have to be the In Real Life Meetings.

When I started blogging over four years ago I never imagined how many wonderful women I would get the privilege to meet: face-to-face.

I had the pleasure of taking tea with Kristin of Fill My Cup .

Among other things Kristin is a tea drinker. I had heard through the grapevine that she actually serves an amazing tea party, but for our first meeting we met at a local hotel for afternoon tea.

I was fashionably late because I had taken a wrong turn, so she was sitting in the lobby with her golden curls when I walked in from the grey, cold afternoon. She came bearing a gift--her own label of coffee...seriously, roasted in her own back yard. Its good too.

We slipped into easy conversation, and I tried to not giggle as I felt like a kid who had snuck (sneaked? snook?) into an elegant experience. I just knew that the wait-staff might eventually find out that I couldn't possibly be refined enough to take tea like a lady.

So I just followed what Kristin did, because she knew what to do.

She was so sweet as she confessed her concern that I might be served something with mayo.

There was only one thing on the menu that was suspicious: deviled eggs.  Which she politely declined to eat.

So I did too. (whew!)

Everything else was delicious. And I tasted it all so I know. The only thing I tasted but didn't eat was the tapioca in the asian soup spoon.

Everything else was delicious including the scones, which didn't last long enough to be pictured.

Kristin had her handy-dandy iPhone, in its adorable zebra wrap, so we were lucky to get pictures at all...after chanting "Don't forget the camera" all morning long, I promptly left home without it.

Kristin, thank you for being brave enough to meet with a stranger for tea on a rainy afternoon. It lifted this CoffeeGal's spirits, and I cannot wait to do it again!