It begins at 5:00 sharp. There are fifty "interesting" women invited to the house on Floyd Avenue. Wine and cheese are provided by Julia of River City Cellars, who is pouring a selection of five wines and wisecracking as she serves. The dining room table and sideboard are groaning under all the food and desserts.
The occasion is the 13th annual Thesmophoria, based on the Greek festival where women only gathered for three days to encourage fertility and celebrate their private customs. Men who tried to spy on the women's gathering were punished. The distinctive feature of the original celebration was the sacrifice of pigs. We did not do that tonight.
Instead, we spent hours toasting each other, drinking a great deal of excellent wine and gorging on cheeses and assorted delicacies prepared by the guests. There was even some card reading going on, for those brave enough to look into their past, present and future (the cards said I am quite content with my life; now there's a surprise). The goal was to socialize, perhaps even network, but mostly enjoy the company of nothing but our own fair sex And we're talking about women from 25 to 65 and every size and shape in between. Some of Richmond's most creative female types were there: actors, directors, artists, teachers, business owners, painters, writers, you name it.
For me, as only a second-year attendee, it was the perfect opportunity to share my single status with women who may know an interesting man they could introduce me to. I like to think that counts as networking.
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Wow, that sounds like a great time, and definitely something I'd be into. I wish I'd heard of it before now. Will have to look it up.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy your blog, especially your food and restaurant posts.
It's a pretty amazing gathering, for many reasons, not the least of which is that the combination of women and happenings only occurs once a year.
ReplyDeleteIt's great to hear you enjoy my blog. Don't for a minute think that I have any special food or restaurant background, knowledge or skills, though. I just write about where I go, what I like and my impressions, amateurish as they are. But keep reading anyway!