Gals Graze

I cannot tell you how stimulating, interesting and surprising my Very Smart Gals luncheons always end up being. There’s really nothing quite as dramatic as the real lives of the people we most often swish by nonchalantly each day.  Wednesday was no exception.  
(Left to right, Mary, Sandra and Paula)
 

Mary Moore Harper, whom I love, is my daughter’s sister-in-law, a 5th generation San Antonio rancher and commercial property owner, former Wilhelmina model and rodeo queen, and currently a partner with her husband in the Austin Capitol Chevrolet dealership and a precious nine-month old daughter.

Paula Disbrowe is a chef and a food and travel writer, famous for her fab cookbooks, Cowgirl Cuisine, Crescent City Cooking, co-written with chef Susan Spicer, Down Home with the Neelys (Food Network fame), co-written with the Neelys, and for her magazine writing for New York Times, T Living, Food & Wine, Spa, Health, Cooking Light, and Saveur. In spite of the fact that she and her husband have two young daughters, they’ve launched a new, ubercool business with some Amsterdam-ians (ites?) called "Feather Down Farm Days," which is like eco-tourism, but farm-y, fun and luxurious. Check this out! Click on Feather Down Farm Days.

Sandra Martin is a long time friend, mentor, and icon of ethics and professionalism. She is also the founder of CASA Austin, founding and current CEO of the Kozmetsky Center for Child Protection, and an Austin Woman Magazine cover-gal! Her PlayBingo and Dancing With Stars fundraisers raise more than half a million dollars a year to help abused children in Central Texas. She and I raised more than $10,000,000 a couple of years ago to build their new beautiful center. Check out their website. Click on Center for Child Protection. Click on Read More.

Nationally recognized artist and world traveler Benita Giller was supposed to be there, but she called me the next day, saying, “Where the hell are you?” To which I replied, “It was yesterday Dilbert!” So some lucky gals will get to meet Benita at another gals luncheon, later – if she stays in America for a while that is. I swear the woman travels more than Hillary Clinton!

So lunch was divine and sparky and we knoodled our way to discover once again how really small the world is, i.e. Paula said, “Mary, did you ever date ______?” To which Mary replied, with a cautiously curious look on her face, “No, but I went with his brother for years.” From there it went to, “OMG, his mom and dad were best friends with my boss so we hung out a lot together,” to “They came to my wedding,” to “His sister lives here now, let’s get together…” Anyway, this sort of thing happens all the time at the Gals luncheons, and I love it.  Thanks to Mary, Paula and Sandra for making my day!

Stay tuned for your invitation – it’s coming….

SueAnn