We had a such fabulous time at our Anniversary Weekend in Wine Country. It was basically a 3 day party, hosted by us but really the community project of all of our friends. We rented 2 houses from River Ranch Vacation Rentals, and they were more eclectic than we ever could have dreamt up. A real hodge-podge of styles and decorating tastes, the only connection between the houses was that nothing at all went together. The main house was huge, something out of a Hollywood movie set, all high ceilings and crazy angles. The neighboring cottage was a fairy-tale mixed with Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, a place where the grandmother in Red Riding Hood might reside. There was actually an oak tree in our kitchen at the cottage, complete with a sign that said "Do Not Touch". Apparently, the animal kingdom cannot read, as we had to save 2 blue jays (or the same one twice) that flew into the house and alighted on the tree, very upset and confused. Other animal adventures included a dead shrew in the dishwasher detergent box, which our brave friend Laura saved us from and gave it an honorable burial.
We had full use of the property (although there was an owner and neighbors all around us, as well as a blind arthritic dog), including a huge grassy lawn, a lily pond, a hot tub, and a tiki-themed river camp complete with a hammock and canoes. It was like Gilligan's Island and Masterpiece Theater converged and out came the Twin Rivers Ranch!
And somehow, it all worked.
By far, my favorite part of the weekend was the many feasts that were prepared. Everyone pitched in and we had a smorgasbord of dishes to try every day, several times a day. We had no set schedule, so when people started to get hungry, the grill would be turned on and dishes would be brought out and we helped ourselves buffet-style. Most impressive were the panko-encrusted flash-fried shrimp tacos that Jude and Ken made, an exact replica of the ones from Lolo restaurant in the Mission, complete with the jicama wrapper.
After a late Saturday night, we were treated to a Sunday morning yoga class on the back patio, led by Sean. It was really cool to do yoga outdoors in the beautiful sunlight, with the sound of the birds in the background, and we definitely benefited from the exercise and detox!
I loved having those few days to hang out and "play" with my friends - it felt like we were kids who were given the run of the house for the weekend. It was all an adventure, and it was so great to see everyone doing their thing and having fun together. We may come from different backgrounds and be in different places in our lives, but it doesn't matter - we all just love being together. I was very touched that so many people made the drive up there (including Shelley, who came all of the way from Orange County and was a total trouper!) and that everyone pitched in. The memories from our time together are like little gifts that I treasure, that can be pulled out and enjoyed for years to come. When I think about what an anniversary signifies, the celebration of a wedding day, I can think of no better way to enjoy it than together with those who are closest to us all around.
