listening party and friendship

So this is an incredible story, especially since I don't like facebook much.  In 2010 I "met" a woman online through a mutual male friend on facebook.  I never even saw a picture of her because she only posted pictures of flowers and cats on her profile.  She loved our family's music, and for years would often comment about and repost songs I posted.  She had a sweet vibe in written word.

Right before we left for our recent summer trip she asked me if we needed a place to stay in northern California, because she knew of a rental.  We had already made arrangements so I told her thanks but we were good.  Soon thereafter she contacted me and asked if we would like her to host a listening party for us.  She had worked years ago as a booking agent in the music business and loved hosting parties.  I had never mentioned that we were wanting to plan one.  She later told me that she had simply woken up with the idea to suggest this.  It was such a generous offer coming from someone we had never met.  She offered us a date that worked for both of our schedules.

When Gary and I met her we liked her.  Her voice reminded me so much of my godmother.  We quickly began planning the party. Invites, a menu of cakes and fruit, folding chairs, a sound system.  The setting was a lovely garden and home.  It all came together easily, and we had so much fun planning, and shopping for the food. Gary and I were blown away by the generosity of this stranger named Juliette.

One night Juliette and I were talking about a glitch with the online invitation. Since our houses were minutes apart I decided to go over to her house to try to work out the glitch.  When I showed up she had a tray with tea and chocolates. We worked out the problem and then spent the rest of the night talking and sipping tea in her outside garden under a pergola lit from white Christmas lights.

I went home that night and told Gary "I think I've made a new friend."

The party was June 30th.  We were going to gather in the daytime but there was a heatwave so we changed it to the evening.  We got a great turnout.  We had so much fun preparing the food.  Old friends showed up, along with Gary's California band and Juliette's neighbors and friends.  We played tracks from Gary's new album as well as Sky's.  Annabel sang and played guitar live.  It was a great evening.

For the rest of our stay in town we spent time together.  Our family, and she and her son.  We had lots of fun.

Thank you Juliette.  I'm so glad I met you!    

california times

Despite a serious heat wave and various unexpected excitement with our house trades we managed to have lots of fun on part two of our California vacation. We stayed in our old home town in the northern part of the state, in a house across the street from a friend I met during a childbirth class when I was pregnant with Sky.  Fourteen years later, our number two kids became fast friends, as you can see from the above photo.

Lots of unplanned fun.  The best kind of vacation.