I had very little planned over the holiday weekend, however it turned into a non-stop time for cooking with family and friends.  On Saturday, I spent the day with some girlfriends, catching up and planning a fun birthday party for that evening.  My friend Rae, whom you know if you have been reading here for more than a month, was marking another birthday.  We had actually done most of the planning with our friends on Facebook, selecting the date most people could attend and the menu.  In person, we did a little tweaking.  

I arrived at Rae’s early to work with another friend in the kitchen and help set up.  One of the girls has recently embraced a vegan lifestyle and Rae wanted to respect that, so we selected an Indian theme and created a vegan feast with an exotic flair.  Unlike a potluck evening, when you plan and cook together, all of the flavors work in tandem.  A good time was had by all.

The following morning, I was out early to hear my friend Shari give the sermon at her church.  It was a wonderful lesson on how important it is to do “the work” in your mind and heart before doing it in reality.  She was great and so was her sermon!  I stuck around and had coffee with her congregation.  They seem to have a wonderful community of people.

My next stop was a day of fun and food at my son’s home with his growing family.  It was good to share food and catch up.  He is a vegetarian and his girlfriend is a superstar in the kitchen.  Actually, he is as well, but she took the lead on Sunday.  It was nice for me to see this wonderful woman trying to ensure my son’s health and well-being.

I had nothing important planned for the holiday, so when I got a sad call from a sick friend, it was perfect timing to go to his home and make some food.  John had both knees replaced and needs to stay off his feet, so I replenished his food supply, cooked, cleaned a bit and got enough ice to keep his knees cool for days.  If you have ever had a friend come help when you are sick, you know how nurtured  and loved you feel.  Even though he couldn’t cook with me, he kept up his end of the conversation, so I count it as a Tantra Cooking event.

In fact, I think the entire weekend counts as TC.  By Monday night, I was able to add several improved relationships when I counted my blessings.