Once a year we try and get as many of our blogging contributors together for a summer lunch to say thank you for all the wonderfully funny, uplifting and informative posts they have provided us with in the past year. The lunch is always a lot of fun and conversation is never in short supply. This year was no exception as 9 of our 15 guest bloggers managed to make it to Henley for a sunny lunch by the river with Grace and I.
Joining us were:
- Bumble
- MMIL (marvellous Mother-in-law)
- BackPacking Granny
- SASSY (Single and still slightly Yummy Mummy)
- Miranda
- Jane T
- Zeynep
- Zoe
- Emily
However Ellie and Emma who were both on holiday with their families, Geraldine who, sadly, was unwell, Louloulapomme who was home in France, our travel expert, and Rubbish Wife who was home in Wales were all sorely missed.
There were however a couple of extra additions to the party – Molly the Cockapoo, Sassy’s dog, a blonde bombshell of the dog world, who had a good ‘romp’ with Kobi in the garden. At one point, when Kobi was in hot pursuit, Molly performed an amazing triple somersault à la Olga Korbut, landing safely on her back with her legs in the air! We were also joined by the much more dignified Hillie, a glossy miniature dachshund belonging to MMIL, who with Barney my elderly gentleman dog, remained aloof to all the teenager sexual exploits that were carrying on around them.
Grace and I got our pinnies out and served up a few favourites from our What’s Cooking section:
- Chilled Avocado, Cucumber & Mint soup
- Greek Style canapés
- Roasted Salmon with Lime, Coriander & Chilli sauce
- Grace’s Banana & Caramel Pavlova with a scattering of Malteasers!
This was all washed down with some rosé for the non-drivers and our lasted tipple, the distilled non-alcoholic spirit SEEDLIP (no sugar) which tastes a little like gin but is most refreshing mixed with tonic or, even better, Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic. I hear it is served in all of the top on-trend eateries and now in this Henley riverside garden!
It was hard to get everyone to stop chatting and eat. The raucous noise, if you were passing in a boat, must have been akin to a gaggle of geese. Whatever it sounded like it was just so heartwarming to hear such an inspirational group of #womenover50 talking about their lives. We are a self-effacing group who take life as it comes, with a huge dollop of humour and a sprinkling of tears. The common thread is that we are all enjoying this time of our lives and enjoy sharing our stories and experiences with our loyal CountryWives readers.
Do you enjoy writing? If you are 50+ and have something interesting, amusing or really useful to say to likeminded women, we’d love to hear from you. Email us now!
If you've enjoyed reading this post, claim your FREE magazine subscription
