Two of our neighbors decided to host a small get together to celebrate friendship.  Cute little invitations were hung on all the invitees doors. Instructions: bring a bottle of champagne, dinner would be provided.  Inscription: A friend is someone that knows all about you and still loves you.

The party was hosted at Mary and Richard’s home.  It’s one of our most grand homes, and yet it’s completely comfortable. Outside it’s a two story English traditional home, covered in stone, adorned with a slate roof. It was built in 1936 by J.C. Horton, who was a well known developer, and his wife.  Eventually a shopping plaza in Santa Ana would be named after him. Mrs. Horton was a great entertainer and the dining room still has a (working) butler’s bell hidden under the dining room rug to signal the staff to come and clear the plates. Can you imagine?  Call me immature, but I ring the bell whenever I get a chance to visit their dining room and imagine my butler Carson will bring me more wine Downton Abbey style. Ha! Mary carries on the entertaining tradition very well, but is far more casual about it than I presume Mrs. Horton was, and there are no butlers today.

Speaking of lavish parties, Jess (Mary & Richard’s next door neighbor, and co-host for the evening) and Mary put together quite the spread. Pinterest would be proud of their cheese and charcuterie platter, with all kinds of scattered nuts, fruits, cheeses, meats, and crackers. They had hors d’oeuvres in the breakfast room and dinner buffet style on the long dining room table under the giant sparkling crystal chandelier. Richard had been busy in their chef’s kitchen making pasta of all kinds for dinner, including Lobster Mac & Cheese. (Did I mention Richard and Mary own a restaurant?  Yum!)

But, as things normally go, everyone gathered in the sun room where the bar was. Here, everyone put forth their champagne offering for the evening for everyone else to sample. To make things a little sweeter, Mary put out a bottle of Chambord for everyone to mix with their champagne. As we sampled, we celebrated the community we have built and the friends we have made. True to the inscription promise, in this community we are not alone.  In our neighbors we have a helping hand. With these friends, we create happiness. And this night, in Champagne & Chambord we were all delighted.

How to be Neighborly: A friend is someone that knows all about you and still loves you.

 Champagne & Chambord

• 1 glass of Champagne or sparkling wine
• 1 tbsp Chambord
• Garnish with blackberry

Toast to friendship!