Lex Turns 45, Celebrates in Style, Creates Secret Pickle Supper Club
Wow what a way to celebrate turning 45! I’m just barely recovering from all the birthday activities now, over a month later!
I’ve always been a little fussy about my birthdays. I remember as a little girl bursting into tears at more than one birthday party surrounded by friends. And in contrast, I remember the years where being in transit or transition from one city to another left me alone and feeling forgotten on my birthdays.
My 40th birthday, which I had been planning as a big, sparkling cocktail party inviting everyone I know, turned into me, alone on the island with the chickens, rabbits and dogs keeping me company.**
But not this year!
No dogs!
No chickens!
And the only rabbit was in the paella.
My tentative queries about what I should do to celebrate turned into 2 parties!
The first, which we dubbed The Society of the Public Pickle, was a rollicking beer & wing night at the Crown & Dragon. A natural extension of the last 2 years when Gerry & I have shared a party at a pub and drunken pickle photos ensue! I’ve already posted the photos and talked about this a lot!
The second, which we dubbed the Society of the Secret Pickle, was an intimate guided Tasting Tour of Spain at the Fair Trade Jewellery Company with food prepared by Chef Matt Kantor of LittleKitchen.ca. (Which has turned into a scheme, but I’ll tell you more about that soon!)
The Secret Pickle burst out of two very exploratory conversations. The first with Matt, who I was asking loosely about what would be involved in pulling together a tasting event for some friends for my birthday and he responded “Let’s DO IT!!!!”
The second with Ryan, started with “I might be doing a tasting for my birthday…” Before I could finishing “… would you like to come?” Ryan had offered me FTJco for the event, had run next door and had booked us a kitchen.
Then as soon as we had a date and I told a small handful of people, we had to start figuring out ways to add more seats to the table to fit in as many people as possible given the limitations of a 2 burner kitchen!! (I’ll be posting about the food next – it was amazing!)
Both nights we were joined by dear friends and I can honestly say this has been one of the best birthday-seasons I have ever had.
Thank you all!
** But it’s important to add that my lovely and delightful friend Heather organised a wonderful surprise party for me when I did finally get off the island and back to Toronto. Sadly, she was too sick to come.
