Fa la la la la, la la la la!

It has been a whirlwind of holiday frivolity and activity the past few days! Monday evening kicked off with the Voyager Capital annual holiday party. The Hatchman and I stopped by and enjoyed seeing and talking with Voyager Investment Team members, Bill McAleer and Geoff Entress and ZINO Society Roundtable member, John Otter while enjoying wine tastings from DeLille Cellars and Cadence Winery and delectable chocolate bites from ZINO Society portfolio company, Theo Chocolate. Cadence Winery co-owner, Gaye McNulty, was there pouring her elegant Bel Canto from the Cara Mia Vineyard on Red Mountain.

Tuesday noon was the 15^th annual Seattle Symphony Holiday Musical Salute concert and luncheon. Good friend and past President of the Seattle Symphony, Dorothy Fluke, was there celebrating the fundraiser that she started 15 years ago to benefit the Seattle Symphony Musicians’ Pension Fund. The brief concert was conducted by Maestro Gerard Schwarz and included excerpts from The Nutcracker, several traditional Christmas carols with arrangements by Jerry Schwarz and Composer-in-Residence, Samuel Jones concluding with the crowd-pleasing favorite, Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson. Everyone was in the holiday spirit by the end of the musical program! The concert luncheon was a sell-out and I saw and spoke with dozens of friends and current and past Seattle Symphony Board members and Symphony supporters there including Chairwoman of the Seattle Symphony Board, Leslie Chihuly, Mary Ann Champion, Linda Nordstrom, Susan Hutchison, Joanne Baseler, Susan Neumann, Joyce McCallum, Jan Rogers, Nancy Strom, Suzy Krabbe, Carol Anderson, Jan Sinegal, Nancy Evans, Betty Tong, Patti Payne, Toni Hoffman and Elizabeth Roberts to name just a few.

Tuesday afternoon brought the PACE Board meeting which was held in Bellevue at Daniel’s Broiler. An architect's "fly-through" inside this new Eastside performing arts center, was one of the meeting highlights shared by Board Chairman Peter Horvitz and Executive Director, John Haynes. The meeting was followed by a holiday cocktail party where I had the chance to connect and say hello to fellow board members, Karen & Chuck Lytle, Alka Badshah, Maxine Barnard, Rick Wirthlin, Jim Hebert, Alex Smith and Rick Conrad among others.

Yesterday’s holiday highlights included a beautiful ladies’ holiday luncheon at the home of gracious hostess, Janet True where we were greeted by Victorian carolers and enjoyed a delicious luncheon catered by John Sundstrom of Lark. I especially enjoyed my conversations about antique china with Susan Hutchison and Nancy Mee and luncheon talk with Lauren Porter, Kathleen Shoup, Toni Hoffman and Nancy Pellegrino.

Last evening, Ken and I attended the Pacific Northwest Ballet Board of Trustees and Stowell Society Holiday Party which was generously hosted by Ferrari & Maserati of Seattle. We enjoyed seeing and talking with many PNB supporters and Board members including Chairman of the Board Carl Behnke and President Aya Hamilton as well as Artistic Director Peter Boal and wife Kelly, John & Sarah Rindlaub, Peter Horvitz, Alexis & Stewart Phelps, Margaret Dell’Osso, Mary Blackburn, Marda Phelps, Bill & Sue Grinstein, Sharon Richardson, Lynn Lindsay, Susan & Phil Lindsay, Helene Mawyer and Julie & Chip Kelly. Unfortunately when Ken and I slipped out for a pre-birthday dinner at neighboring Osteria La Spiga, the person I missed talking to and wishing him a happy day was birthday boy, D. David Brown, PNB Executive Director.