What are Taster Notes? They highlight the details of a gathering. A little taster for you at home. I hope that you’ll escape, even for just a moment, and that it will feel like you were there with us.
The Theme: Reservation for One
Date: Friday, April 10, 2026
This idea of a “reservation for one” is inspired by a phrase connected to Matthew McConaughey and his journaling companion to the book Greenlights. It’s really a gentle metaphor, an invitation to intentionally spend time in your own company, to reconnect with yourself.
For some, that might look like
a quiet cup of coffee in the morning,
a solo walk,
or an hour softly set aside just for you.
And for others…
it might be something a little more spacious.
A day away.
An overnight.
Even a retreat that’s been quietly calling your name.
What matters isn’t how big or small it is.
It’s the intention behind it.
A moment, or a space
where you choose to be with yourself…
and notice what’s been waiting there.
As always, we come together with such a beautiful range of experiences.
Some of us are single, widowed, or partnered.
Some have deeply nourishing experiences of time alone.
Some may be longing for a solo adventure.
And some may simply be craving a few quiet moments to themselves.
And there may be those quietly thinking,
I spend a lot of time on my own already.
All of that belongs here.
There’s a richness in these different perspectives,
and I have a feeling they’ll open the door to some meaningful conversation tonight.
Wherever you find yourself
whether this feels natural, unfamiliar,
or even a little out of reach,
you are so welcome here.
Pull up a chair. I’ll take you through the menu, step by step.
Appetizer
Guests arrived with a gentle breath.
Before we begin, let’s just take one breath together.
Wherever you are sitting, let your hands rest in your lap. Feel the weight of the chair beneath you.
Breathe in slowly. And out.
(pause)
If you brought a candle, you can light it now.
Let this be the moment you arrive.
A meditation followed. Take a few minutes to listen if you like. Then come back.
Table Touch
After the candle was lit and the theme was shared, I offered our Table Touch. A special detail brought to the table each gathering. This gathering, a poem…
Main Course
Storybowl is truly the heart of the evening.
Each gathering, I reach into a bowl and draw out questions. One by one. And the women at the table answer. Not with quick replies, but with real stories. The kind that take a breath before they begin.
It is where we begin to truly know one another. Each woman told a story that allowed her to be known just a little more.
Simply download the questions for this theme, cut along the dotted line, and place them in a bowl.
Side Dish
This gathering includes a creative invitation to plan a Reservation for One for yourself.
The printable is yours to fill in at your own pace. Print it out and tuck it somewhere you’ll return to. Or open your journal and let the questions find you there.
The tutorial walks you through each step, including a gentle cheerleading practice if you’re doing this with a group. There’s also a link to a YouTube video worth playing while you settle in.
Either way, this is simply an invitation to begin.
Keeping the Reservation
Before we close, I’d like to invite you into one final quiet moment.
Return to your reservation.
And gently ask yourself:
What is one small way I could begin this?
Not the whole thing.
Not the full plan.
Just the beginning.
A first step.
A small honoring.
Something you can carry with you beyond tonight.
Dessert
Closing Blessing
As we close tonight,
may you remember
that you are worthy of your own time.May you find small moments
to sit in your own company…
without rushing away.May the spaces you create for yourself
be gentle,
and nourishing,
and enough.And may you carry this knowing with you -
that even a small reservation for one
can open something new within you.(pause)
When you’re ready,
you might blow out your candle.
The Kitchen Table is a monthly virtual gathering inside The Hummingbird Nest. Each month, I host two separate gatherings on Zoom. Same theme, same menu, two different groups of women. Two chances to find a time that works for you. We slow down. We go a little deeper. We leave feeling more like ourselves.
It sounds simple, because it is. And somehow, every single time, it becomes something more.
I hope you enjoyed this taster of another amazing Kitchen Table gathering.
Warmly,
Kathy
A little about me
Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.
For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing yourself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.
