Corky our hostess and Shari

Christmas party - my only one for the year! Old friends from Lawry's got together for their annual Christmas lunch. As it's in La Crescenta I don't go often, but this year Shari and I decided we'd make it come hell or high water. And we did. Corky's house was beautifully decorated and everyone brought a dish. When food people have a pot luck, it's always great. I was fumbling with my Rudolph nose which had fallen off just as the picture was snapped. Some of these people I've known for more than thirty years and know their children and grand children. What a pleasure to get to see them all. 

Corky was the chief secretary for our technical group. We kept meticulous records on each formula. Every time we made a change (new suppliers, legal requirement, product improvements) she logged them, filed them and made sure we were in compliance with standard op for Lipton and Unilever. Pre-computer times, this was a prodigious task - our labs were lined with file cabinets and the piles of paper work seemed never ending. She is still a superb organizer - having 5 children, countless grandchildren and now great grandchildren, she keeps track of everyone - birthdays, anniversaries and other significant events. I can always count on her for a birthday card and hers is the first Christmas card in the mail after Thanksgiving. I was chuckling at this lunch as I watched her checking her list of who was coming and what they were bringing while giving people driving instructions on the phone and greeting new arrivals. 

Suzi, on far right has a 5 foot tall, 90 pound daughter who is on the UCLA cheer squad. She'll be doing her flips and cartwheels at the USC/UCLA game this weekend.