Tennis Team Luncheon

On Thursday of last week, my entire tennis team gathered together after tennis to celebrate the holidays at my home. I have played tennis weekly with some of these gals for over 22 years! They are very dear friends & many of their husbands are also friends with my husband through their golf league.

We have 13 members on the team & everyone brought something to share on the buffet.

Both the kitchen & dining room tables were set with my Eternal Holiday plates on candy apple red chargers.

I used the Eternal Presentation plates with the bows on them for the salads & the Eternal Christmas bread plates that have little holly berries on them. I like to mix & match my different Lenox pieces & thankfully, they all work together nicely.



I had a local florist make this centerpiece for the sunroom using my own sleigh container. You can barely see the ivory & gold sleigh beneath all the flowers. It goes beautifully with the Santa although I didn't buy them at the same time or place. Just a lucky match!

I had some of the same cream roses (I've forgotten the name) tucked into water vials & scattered them inside the French horn arrangement on the dining room table to tie the look together.




Depression glass butter dish. Darn! This could have qualified for Marty's Christmas Cloche Party!!!

The dining room place settings looked very similar except for different bread plates.


I was able to capture a few photos of the buffet bar prior to their arrival but once people started coming in, I forgot all about my camera. I was too busy taking coats & boots & hats & gloves! Remember, we had over 2 feet of snow just days before this party! I was so worried they wouldn't be able to get here!

Aren't these yummy looking RED & GREEN deviled eggs?

We had sweet treats galore!

These cookies are arranged on my vintage Fostoria American square cake stand with center brandy cup and sawtooth edge. It was made by the Fostoria Glass Company in Moundsville, West Virginia between 1937-1982.

I saw these same plates HERE on Mary's beautiful blog Sailing Simply & knew they would be PERFECT

for this plate rack. I've had it sitting in the garage, freshly painted with oil rubbed bronze back in the summer, while I searched for the just the right plates to display on it.

Aren't they GORGEOUS? The detail on them is wonderful. They are from Home Interiors & I found them on EBay just last week. I was so glad they arrived in time for the party. My husband hung the rack for me just the day before the party.

I can see lots of possibilities for decorating this rack for every holiday. Already, I'm searching for something for Valentines & St. Patrick's Day!

Remembering the "Reason for the Season", we shared a beautiful prayer & a delightful afternoon of fellowship & fun.

I was so happy to have everyone available for the party. One gal had just gotten out of the hospital after gall bladder surgery but she was determined not to miss out.

The following morning, my husband had chest pain & passed out after taking nitroglycerin under his tongue. I had to call 911 & have him rushed to the hospital. Following behind the ambulance is one of the most frightening experiences! As a nurse, I want to be right there, seeing & helping with whatever is being done. They advise you not to try to keep up with them, as they are running red lights & going way over the speed limit. It is heartbreaking to see the ambulance disappear off in the distance & feel like you'll never see your loved one again. Just an awful feeling!

Thankfully, he did not have any damage to his heart but they kept him over the weekend for observation while they had him on anti-coagulating IV meds. He's home now & back to his old fun-loving self but what a scare! Very stressful~~I'm just glad it didn't happen the day before!!!

We're enjoying a quiet pre-Christmas week & appreciating each others company more every day. I hope all of us can slow our pace & be filled with the wonder of the season as we celebrate the birth of Our Savior.

Like I said in last December's post, when he had his FIRST heart attack a little over a year ago,

"Every day may not be good but there is something good in every day."

I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch as well as The Tablescapers Seasonal Sundays party, Kim's Savvy Southern Style BTB & Marty's Tabletop Tuesdays.

Thank you, ladies for hosting these fun memes each week!