Walking And The Widder Group

Happily, I'm feeling much more chipper. I walked Kimball (bundled up), but also napped after breakfast for almost two hours. Finished the letter to the Cypress Point director and sent it via e-mail with appropriate attachments.
Out to get lettuce, then to Sprouts for blueberries. I had seen a neat oil and vinegar set--orange ceramic in a terrific fluid design at a store the other day. I debated whether to buy it, as I already have an oil and vinegar set, but finally decided what the hell, I will and I did. They look great on the counter and they were fairly reasonable.
When I got home, I saw Suzanne with Fred and Loretta S. at the picnic table outside. Not sure why, as it was pretty chilly, but I chatted with them for a few.  I mentioned I had a cold, but had no intention of missing the widder dinner.  Well, geez, you'd think I had said I'd take a dip in the ocean, they were so horrified. I have a cold, folks, not terminal beriberi (I had to look up what that is).
Dressed warmly and (I mention smugly), walked all the way to Stone Fire Grille, a little more than two miles. It felt good.
We had a ball at dinner. Carolyn and Nancy were there, of course, plus ten others. We talked, laughed, reminisced about our late spouses (both Nancy's and Vera's death anniversaries are next week), and it felt so good to be with this group. I had my usual, roasted cauliflower and a Chef Peak beer, but after we had been there two hours, I ordered a glass of Chardonnay as a nightcap.
Jim, a relative newcomer, was there and I chatted with him. I had met him at Donna's party in June, and greeted him as Donna's father-in-law. (Donna remarried a few months ago, to Mark.) Actually, though, it was Jim's daughter who was married to Mark, then died. To really complicate matters, Jim's son is also named Mark; he recently retired as Ventura's cit manager. Anyway, I remembered Jim and his wife, who died only two months ago, from the party. That sounds as if everybody is in deep mourning, but mostly, that doesn't come through. With this group, we can relax and realize we're all fellow humans who have survived a life-changing event and lived to tell the tale. 
Donna took me home after one of the funnest (my kids used to say that) evening I've had in an age.