NorCal SinC & MWA Holiday Party

Half the fun is getting there! The BART was full of Santas on their way to SantaCon in downtown San Francisco. The weather cooperated, taking a break in the rain to give us a crisp, sunny day. From the 16th Street Station, Danny headed off to a museum, while I walked down Valencia past city sights, DSCN0655including the colorful Clarion Alley. DSCN0675Nearby Borderland Books was again our gracious host for the party.

My friend Susan Bickford hangs out in the comfy bookstore, waiting for the party to get started.
My friend Susan Bickford hangs out in the comfy bookstore, waiting for the party to get started.

The buffet featured outrageously good treats, especially the breaded portobello mushrooms with aioli sauce. My friend and author Andrew MacRae regaled me with the tale that portobellos were originally called simply brown mushrooms.

Diana Chambers, NorCal SinC Events Coordinator, and Melena Elumaily, our Membership Chair, set up the feast.
Diana Chambers, NorCal SinC Events Coordinator, and Melena Elumaily, our Membership Chair, set up the feast.

The growers hired a PR firm to help them figure out how to market the product and the name portobello was born.

What a great time to catch up with Sisters and Misters that I haven’t seen for too long.

With Pat Morin and David Fitzgerald before Pat dashes off to the final production of her play, A Clean Well-Lighted Park Bench.
With Pat Morin and David Fitzgerald before Pat dashes off to the final production of her play, A Clean Well-Lighted Park Bench.
With our tireless, and tirelessly cheerful Pres, Susan Shea.
With our tireless, and tirelessly cheerful Pres, Susan Shea.

And what bookstore visit is complete without some new books to read? I picked up Camille Minichino’s Death Takes Priority (written under her pen name Jean Flowers), and Terry Shames’ Dead Broke in Jarrett Creek. DSCN0694 [contact-form][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Website’ type=’url’/][contact-field label=’Comment’ type=’textarea’ required=’1’/][/contact-form]

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