In a mere 18 days, two and a half fleeting weeks, a handful of talented writers and photographers will descend upon our lake house for a glorious weekend of writing, resting, laughing and crying, and... eating.  Eating together, the breaking of bread,  inviting one another into the deep knowing we call friendship as we pass the sparkling blood orange juice around the table.

During one long, albeit terribly too short, afternoon last year, the two photographers and I went to the home of the talented Northern California Artist, Carolyn Marchetti.  She shared with us her work, her home, her studio, and a scrumptious meal overlooking the Marchetti's lakeside orchard.  The environment was lovely, though honestly it paled in comparison to the hosts and their immediate transparency and zest for life, love, food and friendship.  After the meal I left their circle of laughter and clicking cameras, and returned to the quiet of the writers back home.  But the story goes on, after I left the lunch table, that our dear hostess' husband Tony commented thus, "It all happens around the table."  Tony is Italian by heritage and by this adage, it seems to me; a culture of people who know how to cook, to eat, to love, and to express themselves passionately... around the table of life.

Family, life, friendship, celebrations and daily meals, laughter and information are shared here. Laid down as offerings, saying, "I want to know you and be known by you."  

Around the oval farm table, inside the great bay window overlooking the lake, we breakfast, sharing our goals for the day.  At lunch we reconvene with surprising news of what we've learned as we've written and prayed and read.  And then, at night, on the wide side porch, with a tunnel of warm wind whipping up from the lake and through our hair laid down, we eat more, share more, laugh more.  As the sun drops low in the sky, even the deer in the field below make their way beneath the trees, and the bats take flight overhead, gulping up their own meal together.  While I would prefer our roasted garlic bruchetta to their insect buffet, the picture is still of family... diving deep and soaring high... together.  Around the table.

And so, with just these 18 days left to plan and prepare, I've put together the flavors that will usher in the knowing; the menu that will act as canvas to the art of friendship we'll unveil one meal at a time.

3rd Annual Creative Retreat - MENU

Wednesday Evening

- Fried egg atop a mixed green salad, served alongside a short stack of

Gorgonzola and bacon pancakes.

Thursday 

- Chocolate Oat scones, yogurt, and fresh mixed berries

- Mango Chutney Chicken Salad, green grapes, cheese and crackers

- Goat cheese stuffed dates, roasted garlic bruchetta, and spinach summer salad.  

- Iced lemon squares

Friday

- Granola parfait

- Cold cut platter and more fresh fruit

- Creative Retreat's Signature Heirloom Tomato and Buffalo Mozzarella Salad,

Chicken pesto and sun dried tomatoes.

"It All Happens Around the Table" has become our lake house mantra. Photographer Jenni Keiter blogged about our afternoon, and this profoundly simple statement, here.