The Jefferson Hotel
December 16, 2007
Photo by Paul Hughes
Friends at Christmas Tea
The Jefferson Hotel/December 16, 2007
Daniel Grayling Fogelberg
August 13, 1951-December 16, 2007
http://youtu.be/Ulk49B0Mdl0 [What Child Is This/Dan Fogelberg]
Every year, my husband and I go to The Jefferson Hotel at the holiday season. Sometimes, we have lunch. Other times, we meet friends and have Christmas tea. It is an experience! It is magnificent to see the decorations and the tree–that gorgeous tree that goes from floor to ceiling, dead center in front of the Gone With the Wind staircase. I highly recommend if you’re anywhere in the Richmond area at the holidays, to make this one of your stops. It is a sight to behold.
Sunday, December 16, 2007, my husband and I met a group of our friends at the Jefferson for Christmas tea. We were seated in a private alcove that overlooked that glorious tree. It was a spectacular sight! We "oohed" and "ahhed" as we savored a feast of finger sandwiches, mini ham biscuits, and sweet treats spread out before us on a tiered stand, with a backdrop of a delicious selection of teas to choose from. There is nothing better at the holidays than gathering with friends - taking time to remember the season and one another - taking time to enjoy each other’s company and laughing over stories. In our case, it was doll collecting, [I brought my husband along for the ride-he enjoys my Doll*Friends] but we didn’t just speak of dolls. We talked about jobs, life, children, aging parents, vacations...the doll collecting was the common denominator which brought us together. The love and laughter are what has bound us. I love these friends. They are a unique bunch, because it doesn’t matter if we’re 30, 40 or 50+ years, we maintain the wonder-the childlike wonder of this season.
After about three and a half hours of fun and fellowship, we knew it was time to relinquish our seats and head home, wrapped in the warmth of the memories which we had just created.
On the drive home, our radio station, which begins playing holiday songs non-stop from Thanksgiving week through Christmas day, played a song that always makes me a little melancholy, but I love nonetheless. However, at the end of the song’s playing, the DJ came on and said that Same Auld Lang Syne has been played in memory of Dan Fogelberg who had lost his battle with cancer earlier that day.
The news made me cry.
I grabbed Tom’s arm and gasped, "Oh, NO!"
Dan Fogelberg wasn’t just any entertainer or singer for me. I always called him my birthday buddy, because that was a special connection I shared with him. I always knew on my birthday, that Entertainment Tonight would list Dan Fogelberg as having a birthday on that day too. [We also shared the day with Alfred Hitchcock] Dan, had been battling cancer for a few years, but I didn’t know it had taken a turn. I knew he had stopped touring, but I thought it was more to gather his strength and spend time with family and friends. So, it was surprising and saddening to realize that the world had lost him. It put a somber note on an otherwise silly-special day. Still, when I went to bed that night, I thanked God for all-in-all a wonderful day. I thanked him for allowing me to create a beautiful memory that day, and I asked for Dan’s eternal peace.
Memories are the greatest gifts you can give yourself because they last a lifetime. They never go out of style. They don’t get stale or musty. You are never too old, too large or too small to savor them. We had created a special memory that day, and even though it was tinged with sorrow, it still has not lost it’s glow and warmth that fills my heart when I remember that day spent with friends – laughing and talking as we shared delicious food and fellowship together. Within the warmth of that glow, I, also, remember Dan and look for the blessing that I associate with his name: we were gifted to have such a wonderful entertainer for 56 years. I’m grateful for that, and that’s what I celebrate today, four years later...
Several weeks ago, I got the Christmas newsletter from The Jefferson Hotel. It made me smile. It made me remember all the teas and lunches and a wonderful brunch that we’ve had there the last few years. I recalled the meals I’ve shared with my husband, my mother, the brunch I shared with my sister-in-law and her significant other, and the glorious teas that I’ve shared with friends. And, I remember that one very special Sunday afternoon, when a group of friends and I shared tea on the day when Dan Fogelberg became the leader of the band in heaven. No one can ever say that God doesn’t have exquisite taste!
Special times–special memories–special friends– on the Gratitude Scale, December 16 gets a 10.
I’ve attached some photographs for your enjoyment and The Jefferson Hotel’s famous eggnog recipe. We’re going over next week for our annual holiday treat there. I’ll let you know how it goes, but I can tell you this much right now: it’s going to be magical. My challenge to you today is to find something to do that provides just that sensation for you: magical.
Have a blessed day! There is much for which to give thanks.
Eggnog Recipe from The Jefferson Hotel:
3 whole eggs
1 cup of heavy cream
1 QT of whole milk
1 ½ cups of bourbon or Rum *My tip at the end
3/4 cup of sugar
Fresh Nutmeg or Cinnamon for taste
* A capful of vanilla [my addition]
~Separate the eggs into two medium bowls; whisk ½ the sugar with the yolks until thick.
~Whisk the egg whites until medium peaks form the fold in the remaining sugar.
~In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream to medium peaks; fold in egg white’s mixture then yolk mixture.
~Add Liquor {Here’s my tip: do a southern blended version: ½ cup bourbon; ½ cup brandy; ½ cup rum or any combination thereof to make 1 ½ cups]; then add whole milk until desired thickness and the vanilla. Chill thoroughly for several hours. Transfer into a beautiful punch bowl and grate with nutmeg, cinnamon or a little of both. Add a dollop of whipped cream in the center of each cup. Enjoy!
http://youtu.be/OYIWeow6W14 [Same Auld Lang Syne/Dan Fogelberg]
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