October 08, 2012

By the fire with a bowl of hot soup

Afternoon

Every October I drive to the mountains with a group of women friends for a weekend retreat. Signing Woman’s family has a beautiful camp on a lake, and they generously let us use the place. Nine women came this year, bringing with us more food than nine women could possible eat in just a few days. When we arrived at the beautiful old house we were to stay in, we found a bra hanging on a hook by the back door. We took that as a good sign.

Soup is my favorite thing to eat on a cool fall weekend, and my friends know that. They came carrying pots of homemade soup. We had pumpkin-garlic soup, black bean-kale soup, potato-leek soup, squash-with-carrots soup, split pea soup, and several kinds of chili. I ate soup for breakfast, soup for snack, soup for every meal. I always say that I can never get enough soup, but I admit that this weekend, I may have come close.

We spend hours talking by the fire, walking along the lake, and admiring the fall foliage. Saturday night, Long Beautiful Hair cranked up the music, and we danced, sliding around on the hardwood floors in our socks. The next day, we walked to a labyrinth to spend some time in quiet contemplation. When the sun came out, we went skinny dipping in the lake and took naked photos. We played cards by the fire, sang songs, drank cup after cup of hot tea, and held a ceremonial burning of a hydrangea wreath. All in all, a perfect weekend.

The burning of the wreath

9 comments:

Lomagirl said...

I need to find me a group of women like this here in my neck of the woods. Could you write a post about women's friendships and how you all have met, made friends, and stayed friends?

Jennifer (ponderosa) said...

I second that request!

Anonymous said...

Me too!

Sass said...

At least for those of us who don't have it (me being one of them as the bulk of my friends live states away), you offer us a tiny taste of the experience.

<3

Love the fire photo especially!

jo(e) said...

Lomagirl and Jennifer: Well, part of the reason I have so many close friends here is because I've lived here my whole life. I'll have to give some thought to writing a post about friendship. I know I'm lucky to have so many wonderful friends, but I'm not sure if I know what the secret is ....

Southminster United Church said...

a ceremonial burning of a hydrangea wreath... I'd love to hear more.

mommo4.5 said...

Oops, that last comment was me signed in under my work address (Southminster Church). Not that I mind you knowing where I work, but I did intend to "be myself."

Anthea said...

Sounds like a lovely weekend and its the sort of weekend that I'd read about in novels so its lovely to hear that they really do occur in reality. :-)

nimiecat said...

I'd like to know more about the wreath burning, too. Tried to google it and your post was the first thing to come up. Then everything else was about weddings and decor. :)