Saturday, Nov. 17

Thank you Paula for organizing such a wonderful dinner and evening for all of us! :)

I had printed the directions to the restaurant from their website but it ended up being a bit of an adventure to get there as the "2" in "I-290" was omitted! Fortunately, I was able to find my way there without stopping to ask for directions... ;) and I got there in time too! :)

I believe there were ~20 GTGers present but I won’t try to name everyone for fear of leaving someone out! I’m afraid my sleepy, "Widower’s brain" that evening was even foggier than the night! :(

I had a wonderful meal starting with olive oil and Parmesan cheese on Italian bread and two other Italian delicacies whose names I don’t know.  A delightful Italian garden salad was followed by a huge, deliciously seasoned butt steak swimming in its juices, capped with mushrooms, accompanied by a pasta side-dish, and all washed down with a Moretti beer! The only distraction was some pest with a digital camera taking pictures — err, that was me...! ;)

Afterwards, we rallied at "The Clubhouse" but there were too many "jocks" dining there, so we continued on to the Embassy Suites where I enjoyed several more hours of conversation while sipping a draught.

My thanks to Deb for her excellent directions for my return trip home -- it took only about 20 minutes and no "adventures" this time! I hope we have many more dinners and lunches, and I’ll organize a weekend GTG for this May -- if someone jogs my "Widower’s brain" in March! :)

P.S.: I mentioned to Larry some support and social groups in the NW IL area; here are their names/contacts. (My only experiences so far are with Joyful Again! and Begin Again, I highly recommend each!):

Joyful Again! — Grief support: retreat weekend — 
Charlotte Hrubes: 708-354-7211

Begin Again — Grief support: ongoing, open, semi-monthly — 
Mary Obey: 847-358-5863

The Next Step — Social: Widow/ers in 30s, 40s, 50s — 
Ed Mansholt: 847-541-8853

Ascend — Social: Widow/ers, Divorcees, Singles — 630-654-3233