A shiny day. The Access Van picked me up at 8:20 and we got to Ojai before 9:00. Mike and I then went to the farmers market, where I got three big, beautiful grapefruits, Brussel sprouts, and a marvelous orange squash. As for Mike, he brought Greg's list, including red cabbage, spinach, pine nuts, cheeses, and a multitude of other requirements. Both of us were ladened with goodies when we staggered back the car, but it resulted in Greg whipping up a wonderful lunch.
Sherry and Greg, Mike's friends he had known in Singapore and who now live in Santa Barbara, arrived about noon and we had a fine time. Not only did Greg make a special chicken dish, but he put together zucchini, spinach, and other ingredients, as well as a wonderful salad. Sherry brought a frittata and a delicious dessert, a kind of cheesecake with a crumble crust and a thick ganache.
We had a terrific time talking with these interesting people. Sherry was born and brought up in Manhattan, got her masters there, worked at Arthur Andersen, then started her own accounting firm and operated it in Singapore, before moving back to the states. Her husband, Chris, is from the U.K. and was in banking before he retired recently, although he just turned 60. I noticed that Sherry's hair is somewhat patchy and, in conversation, she mentioned that she had had chemo for ovarian cancer; she had also had breast cancer. It's amazing how many people I know who have, or have had, cancer and it's so refreshing that we discuss it without the taboo idea about a forbidden topic.The Merseys (that's their name, same as the river in England), are devotees of the theatre and go to a lot of productions in Santa Barbara. We stayed talking through most of the afternoon, then said goodbye. Here they are with Mike:
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