The 23rd Annual Christmas Golden Girls' Luncheon

Norma, our Christmas fashion plate with Lanette, our co-hostess for all these years. Somehow I managed to not get any photos of Fran and Leslie but our little Christmas Elf appeared in several of the pictures. Wear a "stand out outfit" next year girls...sorry! Lanette, Lanette, our own wonder woman. Is there anything she can not or does not do well? Not really. She is such an example of excellence in all things.





Linda and Barb enjoying the day as we have for over two decades. Between us all I think we have shared every delight and every burden with each other over the years. These two friends are remarkably strong women and I love them dearly! We have done so many things together I could write a book...and they truly light up my life!




Kelly is our good friend, our hostess for this year, and is one of the funniest people I have ever known. She has the most delightful sense of humor and can tell a story like no other. Kelly has kept us all laughing until our cheeks hurt every single year.




Norma Jean decided to wear a borrowed QVC "Ugly Christmas Sweater" in hopes of selling the idea for next year. Hmmm! I doubt it! This one actually comes with its own battery pack and blinks! Norma is one of the most enjoyable friends I have. She is always so upbeat and zany and full of energy. She bring a special light where ever she goes! Love the cork screw Santa hat!




Maureen and Linda, two sisters that I have known and loved since high school. These ladies can do anything with their hands and creativity from remodeling a house to beautiful floral arrangements for weddings. They are so inspiring. Besides being talented they are among the nicest, most fun people on the planet!



The table is always elegantly set and each year Lanette and Kelly make a beautiful gift for each of us. The luncheon is always gourmet and this year was no exception with wonderful chicken crepes and roasted veggies, a beautiful salad and Lanette's over the top rolls! The dessert was fabulous too and we enjoyed it while discussing a survey about our favorite places to shop, favorite movies and the hottest guys excluding the ones we live with! That was pretty funny. A few of the nominees included John Travolta, Patrick Dempsey, Jude Law, Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks, Nicholas Cage, and Ryan Bowerbank...(an inside thing...sorry!) They definitely did not leave enough space on the survey for this part! We also shared some pet peeves that were pretty funny! Our activities over the years have been very fun. One time they had all of our mothers write a letter about us and the Christmases of our childhood. One year it was a letter from our husbands saying what they would give us for Christmas if the money were no object. And, one of the funniest of all, the Christmas Letter the way your year REALLY was.

Each year the rule has been you must attend in order to be invited back the next year. They are pretty strict and you need a good excuse like attending the funeral of a loved one, or illness (with a doctor's note..just kidding), or being out of the country. I have only missed one time and it was when we were in Europe. One year I went straight from a root canal to the luncheon. We really missed Chris this year who was taking care of her Dad who has a broken hip.

The gifts they have made us over all these years have become real treasures. They are always Christmas related and really great. This year they made the amazing snowman quilts you see on the back of the chairs. Surely it cannot get any better than this.

After all these years of these wonderful parties we realized that we had never taken any pictures. Jennifer's friends had a similar party in Utah and have been doing it for a few years now. I wanted to blog this to let them know what a wonderful idea it is to establish these fun traditions with your girlfriends. Just as we were once in the same stage of mothering you are...this year we shared pictures of our grandchildren! Keep at it and you will have treasured memories that span many years as we do. Surround yourselves with remarkable women as I have and you can't lose! There is always someone amazing to look up to and pattern your life after.

Thanks Lanette and Kelly for another wonderful year.

Our Credo: Still Hot After All These Years! (Well, hot flashes anyway!)