Dodger awaits the guests New Year's Eve 2005

The house is clean. Most of the food is prepared in advance. The table is set. Dodger’s ready for the guests to arrive.

A couple of writer friends came up for dinner and stayed over night. T introduced me to my writer’s life in Los Angeles many years ago by accepting my invitation to go on a writer’s date. We wrote together in a couple of coffee houses, and she introduced me to a workshop, and most of my current friendships and creative relationships have stemmed from that.

T & M are wonderful creative people. Conversation ranged far and wide. They brought the main dish, we provided sides and dessert. After dinner D played a couple of songs. Then we read a scene from the play M is working on. Then I read from my novel rewrite and they had some startling and helpful feedback.

We didn’t make it till midnight or the champagne, but we’ll have a chance to get to the bubbly later this year.

They stayed over and we had breakfast and more conversation in the morning.

I can think of little better than spending the end and beginning of a year with good friends and/or family. Feeling lucky today.