IT WASN'T JUST ANOTHER DAY

IT WASN’T JUST ANOTHER DAY

She made sure of it

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I am still a bit bewildered about how I ended up being the one responsible for making the monthly luncheon reservations for our group. Group? How about crowd!

In October of 2024, I invited my friend who lives two doors down from me for lunch. It was her birthday and my husband and I decided to surprise her by inviting more neighbors. Our little party had a total of sixteen people.

One of the women suggested that we might enjoy going out to lunch the following month. “Let’s make it a girl thing,” she said. It sounded like a nice idea and we made out plans.

As it turned out, on the day in question two of our friends had to cancel.

During our lunch, we all exchanged phone numbers with the promise that for the following month, texting the date and venue would be easier than calling. My friend Foxy said she’d take on task. (Can I laugh, now?)

Foxy had the idea to try one of local restaurants and suggested that she and I try it out first. I agreed.

With the location being convenient, the food extremely delicious, and the staff better than helpful, we decided to make that place our choice for the following month’s lunch.

One week later, Foxy called. “I’m really bogged down today. Can you please send out the texts to everyone?”

“Sure, why not!”

“Oh, and here’s a new number. My neighbor next door would love to join us.”

Hmm. Okay, then, now there’s nine of us.

But with any street, word spreads. Our group of eight grew to nine. Two months later, we added three more.

And with each month, Foxy and I would send out the appropriate texts. Then she dropped the bomb!

“I really hate to ask you.”

I really wanted to reply with, “If you really hate to ask, then don’t!” But Foxy and I have been friends for so long that there isn’t much we won’t do for each other, so, I replied, with, “Guess you’re asking me to send out all the texts, huh?”

“Well, you really are so good at it.”

Yes, I admit she had a point. For six years, I held the position of social director for a club of about two hundred people. I enjoyed it; had fun finding various venues for our various parties; thrived on hosting memorable parties. Then in 2006, I decided to “pass the torch” to someone else and retire.

But Foxy remembered.

So, yet I took on the task of each month, making the arrangements for our luncheons but here’s where I went a bit nuts.

Each month, I choose a different restaurant. The dates are always somewhere in the middle of the month, and we plan on meeting at 11:30 in the morning.

No one knows, until I send out my text message just where we’ll meet.

As I said a bit earlier, word spreads.

What began with eight women has grown to twenty. We don’t restrict our group to just neighbors. One woman who joins us is the daughter of one of our neighbors. Another is a neighbor’s sister. There is still another who is a very close friend of another neighbor. And our list goes on and on.

Now, over two years later, I’m once again the designated social director.

However, there was one slightly twist this month.

I chose the restaurant (one of my favorites), called and made the reservations for fourteen of us (the others had already mentioned that they’d be out of town), then sent the text messages.

What I didn’t know was that as soon as I notified everyone, Foxy called the restaurant and gave them additional information.

We met at the reserved time, ordered our drinks, then after a few minutes, the waitress arrived to take our lunch orders.

Eating, talking, sharing stories of our adventures or misadventures during the month, time moved quickly.

Being busy hearing about my neighbor’s new grandbaby and telling her about my grandson’s college graduation, I never noticed Foxy slip away. Even if I had, I would have only assumed that she needed to use the rest room.

After rejoining us at the table, the waitress stealthy walked behind me, then placed a sturdy white plate on the table – directly in front of me and said, loudly, “Everybody! Ready?” And she started them off with, “Happy birthday to you!”

The only one who knew it was my birthday was Foxy. She’s the one who quietly alerted the others and the restaurant.

What began as just an ordinary luncheon for a group (crowd?) of friends and neighbors, turned into a more enjoyable birthday party – for me!!

I guess what made it a bit more special was the fact that while Foxy arranged to buy my lunch, the very large (large enough to share with everyone) piece of key lime pie was a gift to me and my friends by the waitstaff.

Not being one to draw attention to myself, I thought of nothing more than having lunch with my friends – just like every other month.

Foxy made sure it would not be just like every other month.

This surely will be a birthday to remember.