She was sure Bette hadn’t forgotten her birthday she probably just wasn’t thinking of the date. They hadn’t had large celebrations since their separation but they had always acknowledged each others birthdays over the years with a card and thoughtful gift.

“Fine. I’ll block the dates so Julie doesn’t schedule anything for me. We can ask both Kit and Alice to stay with Angie and Riley for the few days.”

“That’s great. I can’t wait to see what Jodi has done with the sign.”

Tina is starting to feel Bette’s passion as she continues to tell her about the plans.

“I want to continue what I’ve been doing at CU these past several years and that is to cultivate new and upcoming talent. Some of the student’s work is amazing and they may never get a break. I was also thinking about the art projects we’ve done at the Center. Perhaps I could section off part of the gallery to display some of the amateur art. Some of the stuff I’ve seen shows amazing potential. Showing it might motivate the kids to further their education and maybe make a career out of it.”

***

They finish their bath and prepare for the cooking class. The class sizes were limited to allow hands-on instruction and people had to register in advance. There was a set price and it included fresh organic ingredients, tools, supplies and wine tasting with dinner or whatever drinks complemented the meal.

Both novice and seasoned cooks were welcomed to attend. The best part was that at end of the class they got to enjoy the scrumptious meals that they’d just learned to prepare. Each class was approximately three hours long and had varied schedules for weekday evenings, Saturday daytime and evening classes. They even offered a Sunday Brunch.

Bette and Tina had selected a class called Salads, Salads and more Salads scheduled from 1p-4p on Saturday afternoon. The course description promised to teach them how to make “dazzling salads that were a feast for the eyes and a treat for the taste buds”. The salads could serve as the main courses and were protein-rich satisfying meals that promoted a healthier lifestyle.

Bette and Tina thought this would be the perfect class to test the waters to see if it was something fun that they might enjoy doing together. If nothing else it would be a learning experience that would provide some new and different meal ideas. They were both excited about trying it out.