Article Contributed on: 4/11/2007 1:10:00 PM
This dinner group, begun around 1980, is still going strong--on this occasion, honoring St. Valentine. Back when parents couldn't face paying a baby sitter, in addition to going out for a good meal, they made their own gourmet meals.
Rotating to each other's houses, the hostess sent out recipes for refined dining (not a potluck!). So that nobody paid an unfair share (like the main dish), they split up costs at the end of the evening, which they do to this day when dining "in."
There are still some original members in the group. Getting to know each other through years of the trials and tribulations of life has brought everyone closer because they help each other through the tough times--and laugh a lot.
Skipping a month happens only when unusual things come up--like trips to visit their grown kids--so
those children can go out without paying a baby sitter.
So what happened when those expensive little children flew the coop? Their parents decided to enjoy the empty nest by going out to eat--or to the theater
and a restaurant. Their biggest outing was a drive to Wichita to see an exhibit of the czar's painted eggs. Theater is a frequent destination, or Christmas lights at the zoo--followed by dinner, of course.