Sunday night was the last book club for our dear friend Theresa.  Tomorrow she and her family are moving to New Jersey, where her husband will be taking on a new role as a professor.  While we wish them well in their new home and exciting new adventures to come, Theresa’s departure leaves a void not easily filled (and I doubt we’ll even try).

Gabi made a lovely stack of  books cake with three of Theresa’s favorite books we’ve read (The Thirteenth Tale, The Shadow of the Wind, See You in A Hundred Years).

It was a bittersweet night; trying to get as much Theresa as we could before having to say goodbye, while remembering our favorite – and funniest – moments from our collective past.  We tried to find meaningful ways for her to “take us with her” in a sense – a margarita glass signed by all of us, a framed print of our group photos from the beach, and a book charm bracelet with some of our books.

It will be sad, moving forward, but we still have email and skype, and she will continue to join us at the beach every summer.

I can tell you I am particularly proud to have known Theresa, as she joyously and fearlessly embraced my journey to become a shepherd and farmer, lending a hand wherever and whenever possible.  She came through and saved our backsides when it came time to process our meat chickens – without her help it would have been a lot worse, I assure you.  Not for nothing do we refer to each other as “soul sister”.  Her daughter Zoe and my Oona have been fast friends – making this bittersweet for Oona as well (or just bitter, if you ask her).

Good luck, Theresa. You really are the sweetest of us.  We’ll miss  you dearly.