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Carolyn Aijian's avatar

This is such a sad reality for many. I believe community has been badly attacked, but pockets of strength remain. Those whose churches remained open survived better. We enjoyed seeing each other in the parking lot, even in the worst of times.

I love dinners with friends, and remember fondly the years when we had a dinner group with four couples. Each would hostess once a quarter, creating a fun menu and causing us to stretch our culinary skills and taste preferences.

Now I am in a group of twelve ladies who meet monthly for dinner and Bunco. I rarely miss. I believe the group has met for over 15 years. Outside was a great option for a while.

Especially in the recent years it has become more important to maintain social connections. We need to take this advice and get cookin!!

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Polly Frost's avatar

Wonderful that you have your group.

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Ann Crosby's avatar

Really appreciate that you included the challenges you encountered as you moved back into welcoming, into community. Once I clear off my dining room table, I'll start inviting friends in to share treats or a meal. I needed this encouragement, thank you

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Bill Russell's avatar

Maybe someday Polly can ask what the top of our dining room tables look like. Our dining room looks like we just moved in, and the dining room table has lots of stuff on it. I suppose it was a good thing both Ann and I are similarly messy people, because neither of us are disturbed by the other's messes. And we both have our designated zones to be messy, too.

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Polly Frost's avatar

Have fun! And let me know how it goes.

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Joann Younger's avatar

THANK YOU polly for such a great commentary....

very personal, meaningful and encouraging!

i will absolutely heed your

advice and pass your article on to many!!!👏💕

cheers!!

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Polly Frost's avatar

You are a most wonderful guest. Always welcome.

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J. Livingston's avatar

Buried in the headline grabbing Hunter Biden pardon and Joe Biden immediately skedaddling off to Angola, was the release at the same time of the SubCommittee report on "covid" concluding virtually every government recommendation was 100% flawed, ineffectual and led to far greater harms.

Except this same Subcommittee report refused to delve into "covid" experimental injection safety and efficacy issues, and continues to grant these experimental injections laudable status they never earned. Can one say Big Pharm regulatory capture of "covid" continues even today?

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2024/12/extensive_covid_report_shows_how_government_failed_americans.html

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Polly Frost's avatar

Yes. So insidious.

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Bill Russell's avatar

I was fortunate to know of a medical researcher that said NO to Covid shots. Intuitively, it didn't sound right without going through years of testing. Taking a Covid shot was like standing inside of the tip over zone of a first-time test rocket launch.

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Granny Snakebite's avatar

Being the matriarch of an all ‘Pure Blood’ family we were able to continue family meals with our children and grandchild. We also continued to host our young healthy musician friends who were mostly unvaccinated. Our film industry friends felt forced to get vaccinated in order to work but nobody in our inner circle was afraid to eat food prepared by an unvaccinated granny. Our biggest loss was no longer being able to host concerts in our yard, especially our big annual Old Santa Ynez Day Jonesfest. 2020 was going to be our 25th Jonesfest celebration.

I agree with Polly that there is no greater way to engage in fellowship than breaking bread. My grandmother taught me what a loving act it is to feed people. She also taught me most of my kitchen tricks. I’m happy to hear of the simplicity of preparation you have embraced. Soups and stews are perfect for this time of year. I’m not much of a bread baker, but my daughter always brings warm, delicious creations to our gatherings. I am glad the world is beginning to look like something I can recognize. Preparing our meals has always been the center piece of civilization. Thank you Polly for reminding the readers of this reality.

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Polly Frost's avatar

Jonesfest sounds wonderful. Btw, I watched the video you linked to. You are a terrific stand up comic. Have you ever thought of writing and performing a one woman show? I've written and performed four. I think you'd be great, maybe when you start up Jonesfest you will perform.

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Julia Gonzales's avatar

Granny snakebite, what exactly is a pureblood? The only purebloods I’ve heard of are witches and wizards in the Harry Potter Wizarding world. There are others who label themselves, pure bloods, and they even have a slogan, which is “ pureblood: unmasked, unvaxxed, unafraid”. I have said this before, as an infant or toddler, if you were vaccinated for mumps, measles, polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, small pox and such, you are not a pure blood. If you somehow got through your entire life without vaccinations of any kind, you can thank the people responsible enough to vaccinate their children, which kept you safe.

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J. Livingston's avatar

Brava, Polly. You captured the essence of the real and lingering "covid" malaise - the governmental-induced dread and suspicion inflicted against our fellow man. MAHA - Make America Hospitable Again.

I am still trying to process the new roles for Robert Kennedy Jr as Secy of HHS and Dr Jaye Bhattacharya as Director of NIH. They, like those of us who did choose to reject the "covid" hysteria mantra and suffer the wholesale rejection by our peers, can now come out of the shadows and be honorable again.

I still struggle with what really happened during those awful long years of "covid" whiplash. From immediate and brutal censorship to now so many choosing to pretend it never happened. One more mystery locked inside the human soul.

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Polly Frost's avatar

So true about RFK Jr and Bhattacharya. And true what you say about struggling with what happened. I know too many people with social anxiety caused by lockdown PTSD. Myself included!

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Mari Mender's avatar

Feeding and nurturing friends and family is my love language. I love this piece and would be so happy to break bread with you Polly! I like the way you think and encourage you 💯 percent- keep moving forward you are on the right track 🫶🏻Community is key- We can’t let others pin labels on us to divide us.

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Polly Frost's avatar

We'll have yo do that! My bread-making (and baking in general) was revolutionized by going through Michael Ruhlman's cookbook Ratio. Do you know it?

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Mari Mender's avatar

No but I will have to check it out!! I’m more of a cook than a baker- you make the bread & Ill make the entre 👍🏻 💫😀

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Wally Hofmann's avatar

Dear Polly,

My wife and I join you in celebrating togetherness again. It is "about damn time!" We're glad you're doing better, too. The past 4 years have been tough for all of us.

We appreciate your humble, yet sincere, words and tips. Starting with simple, delicious soups and stews and Shalhoob's Butcher Shop are top shelf suggestions!

“Let's get started!” It's also time to foster community of love and acceptance for all people.

All the best of the season and New Year to you and yours as you -- and all of us -- rebuild our Santa Barbara and worldwide community.

As my departed Father used to say and sign off his letters, "Peace, Love, and Blessings."

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Polly Frost's avatar

You are so right, Wall. As the great Nick Lowe wrote in his song “What's So Gunny 'bout Peace, Love and Understanding?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ssd3U_zicAI

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Sawbilly's avatar

Such a good weekend piece, and political in a way we don’t touch on often enough.

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Polly Frost's avatar

Thank you.

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Emerald Eye's avatar

Indeed, hell no we won’t let them win by dividing us! What a beautifully written piece! Entertaining is like exercise in that way, the first couple of times are the hardest. Once the unused muscle is lubricated with movement, it craves more. The genius of what you have written is the reminder of how critical this small gesture of breaking bread with friends, family, and neighbors is to rebuilding our communities back from the pandemic ashes. I’m still not communicating with so many of my own family members (and friends) after the ridiculous vaccine divide and I cannot believe how prevalent this is amongst almost everyone that I know. It’s truly unheard of in my lifetime to see such a severance in our most critical relationships and I believe that only food and music can bring us back together. Imagine if everyone who read this hosted a meal in their home, and if each of those guests committed to hosting a meal afterwards, and so on, with an explanation of the importance. You’ll have single-handedly begun one of the most healing and peaceful revolutions of this dark time that we have been shrouded in. Thank you for the gentle and beautiful reminder. On that note, what time is dinner? 😜

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Polly Frost's avatar

I'd love to have you over for a meal! Your comments are always so smart and lively.

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Monica Bond's avatar

Bravo Polly! Excellent piece put together with insight and humor. The Covid era certainly did bring changes to all of our lives, and not in a good way. But life goes on and in your case, a very delicious way. We all need a positive incentive and you certainly found yours in both cooking and writing!

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Polly Frost's avatar

Thank you, Monica!

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Mrs D's avatar

Love your article, Polly!!

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Polly Frost's avatar

Thank you! Jim Buckley is a wonderful editor.

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Mrs D's avatar

You're both good writers, too!

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Polly Frost's avatar

Yes, Jim's a terrific writer.

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Jennifer Renga's avatar

So true in many ways .. Nice article Polly.. thank you 🎄💕

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Polly Frost's avatar

Thank you!

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Barbara Henry's avatar

I agree wholeheartedly! There are many reasons why this wonderful way to enjoy friends and family has pretty much gone by the boards! You made a great point!

Texts and emails are the current substitutes for keeping friends and family loved and appreciated and that is no substitute for sitting down to even the simplest meal at home with those treasured friends who arrive with a warm hug and provide a time of earnest conversation and laughter and love! Are they gone forever???

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Polly Frost's avatar

Well, you are a truly great hostess with the mostest! We will carry it forward. ❤️

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Susan Robbins's avatar

Polly,

Thanks for the encouragement—isn’t that the truth! Will get on it.

Also want to expand the suggestion of J. Livingston:

MAHA - Make America Hospitable Again

MAHA-LO - Make America Hospitable Again. Love Others

Now is the time.

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Polly Frost's avatar

I like that - MAHA! We can all do the Trump dance before sitting down to eat.

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DLDawson's avatar

Excellent Polly! As a pureblood who never wore the masks or played along with the narratives, I can relate to others that suffered the wrath of the majority of population that went under [their] mindwarp spell…the investigations already under way will reveal the true responsibility of those who managed the ‘COVID’ (Wuhan Flu) emergency, not only in the area of health care but also in politics, the economy, and the media. We will find that in this colossal operation of social engineering that there are people who are on a quest to control the fate of humanity, arrogating to themselves the right to act against the will of citizens and their representatives in the governments of nations. Rip the bandaid off. Can’t happen soon enough…

PS. Another beautiful day in Paradise!

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Polly Frost's avatar

Yes, it is a beautiful day! Thank you.

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