Weather guessers were claiming that it wasn’t all that chilly. Easy for them to say, tucked in their heated studios. But combine the temps on Monday, January 18, with the breeze and it was definitely a gloves-on, snug-hats-on night.
One place where warmth was glowing was Margie and Ray Francis’ home-sweet-home along Turtle Creek.
The occasion for gathering was the Soup’s On! patron party. Okay, so Chef Chair Brian Luscher was unable to be present, but there was a good reason and it would be revealed the next day at the Soup’s On! fundraiser for The Stewpot Alliance.
Even Dallas First couple Micki and Mike Rawlings made it. After all, they were the Soup’s On! honorary co-chairs. Mike stayed as long as he could but it was also MLK Day, and he had to hustle to The MLK Symposium at City Performance Hall. Earlier in the day Big Mike had been floating down the streets for the MLK Day parade.
On the other hand, Micki was headed to a grandmother gathering for a baby shower of a friend. Speaking of kids, Micki reported that son Gunnar Rawlings had just flown in from a buddies ski trip to Japan.
Not so agile was Kersten Rettig, who was on crutches with a mobile cast in place on her right ankle. As the result of a very nasty fall in Arkansas four months ago, she had to resign her post as development director of Dallas CASA in December to focus on healing. Ever flexible, Kersten had opened her own PR operation with three clients to start, including the family project PDQ.
Rev. Joe Clifford was back from a week in Haiti to join wife Jennifer Clifford in congratulating Susie Simon for providing funding for The Susie Simon Art Endowment.
Another fly-in arrival was Soup’s On! Co-Honorees Christy Coltrin and husband Brad Oldham. Just back from the Atlanta International Gift Show, Christy seemed a little overwhelmed from the successful trip to Georgia. Seems that two monks there had bought her entire “Tiny Sparks” collection for their monastery gift shop.
Halfway through the reception, Stewpot Alliance Board President Kristine Schwope joined Luncheon Co-Chairs Charlotte Legg and Christi Nicolas in welcoming the 50 guests and helped serve up the niceties that included presenting keynote speaker Collins Tuohy with a Brad Oldham-sculpted spoon and Micki and Mike with a painting of a view of The Stewpot Alliance in downtown Dallas.
As a surprise, Kristine presented the luncheon co-chairs with Brad Oldham pieces of art to thank them for all their work.
In turn Charlotte and Christi then surprised the crowd by revealing the luncheon centerpieces/tablescapes were not only edible but from The Stewpot Community Gardens thanks to Terry McCullough and Billye Turner.