Thought for Food

My parents have a saying — “la familia putativa.” Literally translated, it means the putative family, but its true meaning is the people we pull into our orbits, the “home team,” the “fuzzins” (faux cousins) and sisters-we-never-had that are as much a part of our family as any relation by blood or marriage.

Nearly half the people in this photo from last weekend are part of la familia putativa. And this weekend, I celebrated my familia putativa, the (Tulane) women who have become my best friends and sisters, whose someday-children will call me Aunt, whose boyfriends are now my dear friends, whose triumphs and bravery and marriages and big moves I celebrate as my own.

For three amazing years, we all lived together in New York (the big exception being Kate, but Philly’s never felt far). But career and love pull us away: last summer Jane left for law school in Chicago and this Saturday at noon, Liz and Bill headed to Kansas City for Bill’s new assignment as a clerk to a federal judge.

But no time to mourn, at least not yet! This weekend, we got the gang together for one last hurrah. Here are some snaps….

Liz & Julie sipping 20th Century cocktails on my terrace on Thursday evening. (We had about 10 of them batched in the freezer. All I needed to do was unthaw and serve. I love my life boyfriend.)

In my apartment hallway in front of the “Welcome Jane!” sign I made. I was maybe a teensy bit excited for her visit.

Liz & Bill with the card I made and the Kansas City music mix that Andrea made. (The inside of the card reads “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.”)

Farewell drinks in Flatbush Farm’s gorgeous outdoor bar.

On Saturday morning, we brought a big bag of Russ & Daughters smoked fish & bialys to Park Slope to send Liz and Bill off with a “stoop brunch” (a very awesome thing which we may have invented). Luckily they decided not to bring the kitchen cart! It made a perfect serving table. (You should have seen the looks on the faces of people walking by when they saw that familiar Russ & Daughters logo. Fights would have broken out — if it wasn’t, y’know, Park Slope.)

I’m going to miss these two so much — we’ve lived in the same city since shortly after Katrina, first in NOLA and then in NYC — but with their wedding and Katie’s wedding next year, I’ll see them plenty. Plus they’re mine (and I’m theirs) for life.