Ladies who Lunch, Stepping out of the Comfort Zone, and There is No Such Thing as Coincidence

A few years ago, I had the happy circumstance of reconnecting with an old friend. We had lost touch for many years, then happened to reconnect through a friend of a friend. I won’t go into the entire story, but it was really neat. Not only did we reestablish our friendship, but also we did it right at the time that she was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Having survived colon cancer myself, I was able to be supportive of her during that time.  As a Christian, I firmly believe that there is no such thing as coincidence. The Lord specifically put us back together at that particular time in her life.

We have emailed sporadically since then, and have FINALLY made plans to see each other this weekend. She has another friend that she is bringing with her, and the two of them are also old friends of a good friend of mine here in town. So the four of us will meet here for lunch on Saturday.  First, the tablescape, then my thoughts about the day. 

I have tweaked the same table from both the harvest and the Halloween tablescapes. I used the harvest-colored runner from Dollar General, the sage green placemats from Fred’s, and the square taupe plates from Wal-Mart. The green Dollar Tree goblets with the harvest-themed charms also remain in place from last week.

Then I added the square Friendly Village salad plates. I chose them because the colors fit in with the fall theme, plus I just love the Friendly Village. I left the San Remo flatware from the Halloween tablescape.

I have again used the fall leaf napkins from The Napkin Lady.  The acorn napkin rings look good with this table.

I had to use the cute little Dollar General pots. I am planning broccoli cheese soup. I wanted to use these little pots so badly that I put soup on the menu!

I finished off with my candle holders and some of my fruit and vegetable salt and pepper shakers. This is not all of them; I just wanted a few for decoration.

So on to the menu and why this day will be stepping out of my comfort zone. I am not a terrible cook, but not a real accomplished one either. I’ve never really been one to cook for others or to enjoy entertaining. My son knows my insecurity in this area and challenged me to work on it a few years ago. His reasoning was that the nest was empty and that his dad is a good sport about being a guinea pig, so why not try it? He even gave us a cooking school lesson at Viking, which we loved.

So I’ve been working on it and doing a little better. I’ve gotten a little more adventurous and a little more healthy with my cooking.  I actually found the broccoli cheese soup recipe on line and just jumped in and tried it. Surprise: it was actually good. I still can’t believe that I actually made something like that and that we liked it. Saturday will be the real test when I fix it for my friends.

I won’t go into all the psychological evaluations behind my feelings about my cooking, but I assure you that there is good reason for it. Saying stuff like, “But you’re a good cook,” makes me feel no better. People who say that have maybe had one thing that I fixed for a church supper or something.

But, as I said, I am working on it. This Saturday will be WAAAAAY out of my comfort zone, and I am a nervous wreck about it. But I am looking forward to seeing my friend for the first time in almost thirty years.

I will report here after the visit and let you know how it went. In the meantime, send prayers my way for me to step bravely out of my comfort zone and deal with whatever comes up.

I am joining: A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday (vignettes, tabletops, tablescapes), Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life (decorating, gardening, recipes, collecting),  Sunny Simple Life (decorating, projects), Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday (tablescapes) and Metamorphosis Monday, Masterpiece Monday at Boogieboard Cottage (crafts, home decor, thrifty finds),  Cozy Little House for Tweak it Tuesday (deocrating, garden, projects),  Under the Table and Dreaming for Sunday Showcase (any project or idea made by you this week), The Charm of Home for Home Swee Home (home & garden), Cuisine Kathleen for Let’s Dish (tablescapes), Make the Scene Monday at Alderberry Hill (home decor, projects, recipes), Fridays Unfolded at Stuff and Nonsense (recipes, projects, decorating),  The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday (tablescapes),The Thrifty Groove for Thrifty Things Friday (thrifty decorating, tablescapes),Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now (recipes, crafts, home décor), Meet Me Monday at You Are Talking Too Much (projects, decorating, recipes),  Spotlight Saturday at Classy Clutter (recipes, crafts, home décor), Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage (decorating, crafts), Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound (anything pink),You’re Gonna Love It Tuesdays at Kathe with an E (recipes, crafts, home décor), Mop it Up Monday at I Should Be Mopping the Floor (projects, decor, recipes), Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style (recipes, crafts, home décor), Potpourri Friday at 2805 (decorating, recipes, crafts),  Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House (decor, projects), Flaunt your Fall at Chic on a Shoestring (decor, projects, recipes),  Tuesday’s Treasures at Uncommon Suburbia (projects, decorating, recipes),  Return to Loveliness at A Delightsome Life (home decor, projects), Centerpiece Wednesday at The Style Sisters (centerpieces),Open House Party at No Minimalist Here (crafts, home décor), Time Travel Thursday at The Brambleberry Cottage (memories, projects), Tips and Tidbits at The Stone Gable(projects, home décor, recipes),Thursday Favorite Things at Katherine’s Corner (projects, home décor, recipes), Sizzle into Summer at DIY by Design (home décor, projects)