Soaring Spirits And Christmas Cookies

Walked Kimball, but still with the sore throat and cough. Oddly, though, I felt better and better as the day wore on, although all I took was aspirin. Maybe that was because I just decided to ignore the damn thing and go about my business.
Changed the bed and did a large load of wash, and decided I'd attend the widder group dinner. However, I didn't have an ornament to exchange. Also, I needed to get a shade for the lamp I had bought at The Coalition. Drove to Target at the mall and saw some, but for ten bucks? The lamp only cost $4,99, so before I pay that, I'll look elsewhere. Left the car at the mall and boarded a bus to town. Bought a pretty angel ornament, but found no shade. I'll look at a few more places, but if I don't find one, I'll get the Target one. Showered and dressed for the dinner and took two buses to the Stone Fie Grille.
There were fifteen of us there, which included two men (I think that's a pretty fair representation of widows and widowers overall) and we had a great time. I got my favorite roasted cauliflower and Chief  Peak beer and even added a bottle of prosecco* after. Susan brought dozens of homemade cookies, little men and stars and Christmas trees--with icing!--and I went hog wild; I must have had six of them. My tummy still feels a little uncomfortable, but hey, it was worth it. Now I feel we're in the holiday season.
Vera took me home and as I walked to my place, I met up with Patrick and we chatted. I told him I wanted to invite him, Gordon, and Suzanne over for dinner, got his number, and will call him soon.
*That's a type of champagne which Nancy likes and the idiots at SpellCheck, isolated as they are in their little cubicles, aren't civilized enough to know how to spell. (Oh, okay, neither did I until I looked it up.)