Soul Food and Snow Angels

Imagine this dinner party.  A chef, a gynecologist, a lawyer, an osteopath, a writer, a billionaire's personal assistant, an Olympian, and three beautiful kids under the age of 10 all sitting around a giant wooden table laden with soul food.

Our trip to Park City, Utah last week was far from your average ski trip mainly due to the exceptional company we kept throughout the vacation, and I will always remember this trip as the time The Sprout first saw snow, and when Lil' Bit made her first snow angel.  Snow angels...there is something about spreading out on fresh snow that leaves you with a wide open feeling.  Good for the soul.

Ski trips are about three things...snow, skiing, and mealtime.  Big breakfasts, lunch on the mountain, and then dinner to feed an army.  Every morning Chef dished out a huge breakfast to feed his brothers, father, the kids and I.  Eggs, bacon, homemade biscuits, pancakes, sausage...lets just say our low calorie diet was shot to hell on a highway of grease.  But that is what ski trips all are about.  Waking up early and starting a full day on a full stomach.

Lunch.  It was easy to be good on the mountain.  Deer Valley Resort is beautiful. Roaring fires in the dining areas, micro brews on tap, and an unexpectedly elegant selection of food at its various stations...at movie theater prices of course.  The hit of the week was by far this sandwich, photographed by Chef's brother, Jason. A serious milanesa (Argentine spelling) sandwich, perfect for playing hard on the slopes.

Back to dinner.  We had many great meals this trip, but our soul food feast was perfection.  Fried chicken, collard greens, fresh biscuits, cornbread, piping hot hoppin' john, and macaroni and cheese good enough to slap your grandma, and for dessert chocolate cake in honor of Chef's birthday.  But what made the meal exceptionally wonderful was people that shared it.

You can have an incredible plate of food in front of you, but if your dining partners are no fun then it doesn't matter how good the food is...the meal is going to be a drag.  On the other hand, if the food is terrible and the company fabulous then at the very least you are in for good conversation.  The Jarrett family who reside in Heber City Utah,  were our guests for many a meal this trip, and they brought so much thoughtful energy to our table.  The type of folks who give you a hug upon your first introductions.

Dave Jarrett, former Olympian, is now the US Olympic Ski team Nordic Combined Head coach.  He loves what he does, and is literally the best in the world at it.  Took home three medals for the US in the sport last Olympics, the first time our country has ever medaled in the event's history.  His wife Kelly is as lovely as it gets.  One of those gals who you immediately connect with because she is so easy going and authentic.  We spoke a bit about what it was like to have partners that have turned their passion into their life paths, and what the next step is in our game as mothers as our children grow less dependent. 

Now that I have returned to routine of home life from our vacation I have had some time to reflect. It is getting towards the end of the first month of 2011.  The year seem to be shaping up to be full of change and growth for us as a family as we consider a move to Atlanta in the summer.  While at time life seems to drag (this is mainly due to housework in my case), life is short.  Really short.  It flies by if you are not watching.  If you are not present.  We all have a lot to learn from people like Dave and Chef.  People that follow their dreams and actually catch them.  I imagine it frees you a bit like making a snow angel.  Wide open.