lunch with the ladies

I should be better at posting on this thing. I mean, I like to write and it's not like I lead a boring existence! There is usually something worth mentioning that happens around this place, maybe not everyday but at least a couple times a week. I'll try to do better [imagine me giving my best penitent look].

So, today the quilters were at church. They always come in at some point during the day (my office is nestled back in the corner, away from the front entrance, so I'm never quite sure exactly when they make it here) and after quilting away for a good portion of the day, they convene in the kitchen for coffee and a light slunch? lupper? What IS the correct term for the afternoon equivalent of brunch? They always call down to the office when they're all ready and in the kitchen, to let us know that it's time and we should head up to join them.

I have learned that it is in my best interest to go to this. For several reasons. The first is that it is free food and it comes at a time in the afternoon when I'm ready for a snack. So it usually hits the spot to join the ladies, even though the food might not be what I would choose for myself. For instance, a regular favorite is braunschweiger (which, if you're not quite sure what it is, is this almost spreadable meat product made out of pork liver, I believe). Another is pickled herring, although that hasn't made an appearance for a while. There is usually this cream cheese based cracker spread that one of the ladies makes (and I must admit is pretty good), as well as a variety of desserts. Today, someone made rosettes. Yummy! So, although it's not exactly what I would choose for my own snack, it's all free food, and I've never been too picky when it comes to food. Especially if it's free. So I'll gladly join the ladies for some munchies.

Another reason is that they often give me leftovers. Many times I'll bring home a foil wrapped plate stacked with cookies and summer sausage and crackers and, yes, braunschweiger. It provides an evening snack for that day. Or, as is the case today, it vanishes pretty quickly. They gave me a plate of rosettes which didn't last very long. Truthfully, they were gone about 10 minutes after I was back at the office.

But the most important reason is what happens when I don't go. Several months ago I was in the middle of something, so when the call came I opted to not go upstairs. That afternoon, I happened to be heading home the same time one of the ladies was. Now this woman is a kind, gentle, friendly woman. One would not guess that she would hurt a flea. But when I exited the church as she was getting into her car, she fixed her eyes on me in a gaze that could stop a charging rhino in his tracks. Her eyes burned right into my soul as she said, "You didn't come for coffee today."

Frantically, I tried to come up with the words to somehow fix the situation, and to stop her eyes from boring into my soul. "No," I said. "I was working on something in my office, and wanted to make sure I finished it."

"Hmmph!" She grunted as she got into her car, obviously not satisfied at all with my reason for snubbing them that day. I slunk back to my house, with my tail between my legs. I'm pretty sure that since that day, if I am in the church building, I have dropped what I was doing and headed up to the kitchen to join the ladies for coffee. A snack of braunschweiger and pickled herring sure beats having a hole burned in my soul.