Last night we hosted some close friends to celebrate our dear friend Amanda’s upcoming birthday.
It was truly a delight!
I made little menu zine that also included a word-search and one of my all time favorite Henri Nouwen quotes.
By request I made Greek inspired lemony-dill chicken thighs with feta, so delicious! And for dessert I made Dorie Greenspan’s Epiphany Galette Des Rois. (Sadly no pictures, but it was gorgeous!)
Traditionally whoever finds the fève gets to be King and wear a crown; with a little puff pastry magic I was able to make sure the birthday girl got the slice with the almond inside! It was fun to combine an Epiphany tradition with a birthday celebration. (Note the crown on the backpage of the zine!)
Using Tsh Oxenreider‘s guide, during dinner we reflected on 2022 together, and looked forward into 2023. I hesitated doing something so earnest because I didn’t want it to feel forced or heavy, but it ended up being a lovely and organic way to hold each others hopes & dreams, as well as highs & lows.
The questions posed were
Create a phrase or statement that describes this past year for you.
What was an unexpected obstacle this past year?
Pick three words your spouse or a close friend would use to describe your year.
What was the single best thing that happened this past year?
It was extra special to answer the “three words” question. We took turns going around the table and choose three words to describe the person to our left. Hearing your closest friends share kind and encouraging words to and for each other was magical! I wrote my three words (give to me by Robbie!) on my menu booklet and tucked it in my journal to cherish.
I’m forever grateful we found our way to Charlottesville and to these friends. We are truly blessed and highly favored!
I’m going into this week feeling golden ✨✨
Delightfully,
Jen
Speaking about the Sun 
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