women, wine, porches and pajamas

When I was about six, we moved.  My mother was asked to join a "card club" in the new neighborhood.  Third Thursday of every month.


This was back in the '60s. 
On "Card club Thursday" my stay-at-home mom would get all gussied up for the big night out in the neighborhood.  I can still hear her telling my dad to "be home on time, I have card club tonight."  You would have thought she was going to get a kidney or something.

And then, once a year it was at our house.  You would have thought Queen Elizabeth was coming.  She cleaned for days.  Carpet tracks right out to the door. 
And the food!  Only the best for the card club ladies.  She make the best shrimp dip from Campbells frozen shrimp soup and mark it in the fridge "CARD CLUB ONLY".  Seriously, it would piss us off.

Today,  44 years later, they still have Card Club.  They cannot see the cards anymore so they just eat.  Husbands have died, many have buried children and their lives have changed.  But, the these ladies still meet the third Thursday, still get gussied up and share their lives with 12 other women. 

Growing up I knew that these 12 women were they "mother network".  If you were going to screw up, don't do it around card club.  If you got married, automatically, 12 names and guest were on your list.  The power of the card club was immense.

Card club was my mom's rock.  Thick and then, up and down, good and bad, my mom could count on the Card club.

My porch, the wine and the women on it have been my Card Club.  Frequently, there is a porch full of women, sometimes in their pajamas, sitting late at night chatting.  We talk about kids, what is left of our bodies, the number of meanings the "f word" has, new cleaning products, brazillians, how hot George Clooney looks in a tux and a million other things.

And lately, women have helped me climb out of my "slump".  We have sat in pajamas in the hot summer night and chatted. 

I have been amazed at the random acts of kindness offered to me and the sisterhood exists between females. Invites to the beach, presents in the mail, text messages and concern.

Seriously, get rid of all the men in the United Nations, replace them with women, take them to a porch, pass out some bottles of pi not and Merlot and you would be amazed at would happen on this planet.  Want to find a head Al Queda leader? Don't send in militia, tell a group of women, right before Christmas, that they will each get a $5000.00 gift card to TARGET and they will sniff him out in record time.

Just this week, I was invited to my friend's house for "wine Wednesday".  She announced that she has breast cancer and is starting treatment.  Her biggest concern was for her best friend and how she would get through it.

My dear friend "J" has her own summer camp.  Cancer.  She calls me every week to make sure I am fine.  Are you kidding, she is in the midst of chemo, no hair and cannot eat a thing and she is calling me.

Women are amazing.  The last couple days I have spent with my "vacation" friends who arrive yearly.  They too have gone to great lengths to help me and the "button".

"Card Club", "Wine Wednesday" or "pajamas on the porch" are never about the wine.  These outings are about celebrating friendships and sisterhoods and saying "thank you for being there, I am glad you are my friend."

I am blessed to have the friends that I do, a little bit of each one of them is a part of me. I have especially been blessed this summer.

My porch is open any night. Take off your makeup and your bra, put on your pajamas and raise a glass.  Friends, sisters, women...We rule.