“Even pleasure, you know, is fatiguing.” -- Jane Austen

My doll Kate is blessed with a merry heart. And why not? She lives in a well-furnished loft apartment with her husband Mac and is a card-carrying member of the Purse of the Month Club. She and Mac are the only Fashion Royalty dolls in a diverse community that includes a one-inch scale dollhouse, a 1960-something Bubblecut Barbie, and several Tonner dolls.

Kate was delighted to hear from her friend DeeDee recently as the Barbie Convention was winding down in Dallas. “She sounds really tired,” she said to Mac. “I think drastic action is called for.”

“How drastic?” he asked cautiously.

Kate smiled at him. “Well, I just received the first issue of Girlfriend Getaways…”

“Yes, I noticed that subversive magazine by your computer.”

“It has a cover story on Wine Country Weekends,” she continued, ignoring him. “What Dee needs is some quiet time with close friends and a stack of good books. A comfortable inn, terrific food and wine, and some spa time.”

“That sounds great!” he said.

“Sorry, Mac. No boys allowed. This is a girls-only getaway! I must let Dee know right away””

The Further Adventures of DeeDee, in which the girlfriends arrive in Sonoma

My doll Kate and I were feeling optimistic as we headed toward the northern California wine country to meet her friend DeeDee for a girls-only getaway. Our drive through Napa and Sonoma was delightful – all cloudless blue skies and green vine-covered hills.

DeeDee was waiting for us at the inn when we arrived.

We were pleased with our rooms. The main living area had a fireplace and a private deck. We pushed open the French doors, settled into deck chairs and talked until the afternoon turned dark.

We were feeling happy and relaxed when we headed out that evening to Deuce for an early dinner. The restaurant is in a sunny yellow farmhouse, not far from the Sonoma central plaza.

The patio was the place to eat on such a lovely evening; it was quiet, with the feel of a private garden. DeeDee and Kate looked so pretty in their pink dresses!

After dinner we walked to the plaza to take in a movie at the Sebastiani Theatre. The Sebastiani is a grand, old-fashioned theater built in the 1930s with curved wooden seats, red velvet curtains and wonderful old chandeliers.

We left the theater looking forward to our first full day together in the wine country.

The Further Adventures of DeeDee, in which the girlfriends learn the ABCs of wine-tasting After breakfast the next morning, we phoned the fitness center to book massages at 4:00. That left a big chunk of the day wide open, and it didn’t take us long to figure out how to fill it.

We made our way to Copia: The American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts in Napa.

Copia is an educational center that features classes, demonstrations and tastings. We soon learned the basics of wine-tasting. DeeDee and Kate became experts in swishing and sniffing and tossing around words like “bouquet,” “aroma” and “finish.”

DeeDee fell in love with a rich cabernet.

“Why not fall for a rich winemaker instead?” asked Kate.

DeeDee pronounced herself quite pleased with her decision.

We had lunch at Julia’s Kitchen – an airy, open restaurant that honors Julia Child, who donated much of her kitchen to Copia. We ate on the terrace in an olive grove and gazed contentedly over the large garden.

We decided to snap one last photo of the garden before heading back to the inn for our spa time.

(A note from Cathy: Ginny, one of the girlfriends on our getaway, took all the clever and creative photos posted today. She is, by the way, my lovely and talented daughter-in law and was crucial in making this time with DeeDee so special! Thanks, babe!)

A break in the action, in which the girlfriends join the search for Ms. Fatale:

Ginny, our Boston girlfriend, held the camera steady. “Smile, DeeDee,” she said.

Click!

DeeDee’s cell phone rang as we began our walk back through the garden at Copia, eager for our afternoon massages.

“This will be a very short call,” she said confidently. “You answer it, Katie. Tell them I’m on my way to an extremely important meeting.”

Kate picked up the phone. “Well, hello!” she said. “Yes, she is, right here.” She handed the phone to her friend with a smile. “You’re not going to believe this.”

After a moment DeeDee covered the mouthpiece with her hand and looked at Kate. “I don’t believe this,” she said.

The week’s challenge had just gone out: Where in the world is Natalia Fatale? As Doll Diva’s official travel doll, the board felt that DeeDee was in a unique position to help.

Kate clapped her hands in delight. “Where do we start?”

“Let’s talk to Ginny,” DeeDee suggested. “After all, she traveled all the way from Boston. She may have seen her.”

“What in the world IS Natalia Fatale?” asked Ginny.

“It’s best she not know,” they agreed.

The girls took a moment to review the evidence. “Well, she wasn’t at any of the wine-tastings,” Kate said.

“Or trendy little boutiques.”

“Or fashionable restaurants.”

“Or prestigious wineries.”

“Wait a minute, Dee.” Kate smiled and raised a mischievous eyebrow. “We haven’t checked out any spas yet.”

DeeDee burst into a happy laugh. “So, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

The Further Adventures of DeeDee, in which the girlfriends hit the trail:

We slept well, woke up about eight, and met for breakfast under a white umbrella on the terrace at the inn. The weather was fine and cool, and several of us decided to spend the day at the Jack London state park.

We drove to Glen Ellen and stopped at a gourmet shop to organize a picnic for the afternoon. We stocked up on turkey, Italian country bread, snacks and drinks and splurged on a grainy Dijon mustard and a sun-dried tomato tapenade.

Jack London State Historic Park in Glen Ellen is where the author spent his last days. The ruins of his home, Wolf House, are here as well as nine miles of hiking trails with well-placed picnic tables and beautiful views.

We studied the map and set out, the sunshine warm on our faces.

DeeDee and Kate quickly fell into a hiker’s steady stride.

“How are you doing, Katie?” DeeDee asked cheerfully after an hour on the trail.

“Great. We could do this all day. It’s fantastic.” (Say you’re tired, Kate willed her. So I can take this miserable pack off my back.)

“Do you need to rest?”

“Not on your life, Dee. On we go.” Hopefully she added, “Unless you’re tired?”

“Oh, no, Kate. I could do this all day.”

After the next half mile, DeeDee flung her pack to the ground. “That’s it. As fresh as I am,” she said, gasping. “I have no right to subject you to this pace. Let’s take a break.”

“I thought you’d never quit!” Kate sat heavily down and glanced over at her friend. "Hey, DeeDee! Is there room over there for me too?"

The Further Adventures of DeeDee, in which the girlfriends say goodbye.

“It was a delightful visit, -- perfect, in being much too short.” --Jane Austen

After our afternoon massages, we spent a comfortable hour on the terrace, sipping wine, flipping through the local papers and trying to decide where to have our last dinner of the trip. We chose the girl & the fig, a restaurant we had noticed on our walk around the plaza.

We slipped into the handsome oak bar, full of happy, noisy people, and were led to the shady back patio. It was casual and relaxed and unpretentious.

DeeDee had a salad of beets, mixed greens and mint. Kate’s salad featured arugula, goat cheese, pecans and grilled figs. The food was country French and very, very good.

Dessert was simple and delicious and had the secondary benefit of allowing us to linger a bit longer.

“To girls-only getaways!” said DeeDee.

We touched glasses and smiled.

“So, girls,” Kate said brightly, “Where shall we go next year?”

(Kate and I thank you for your interest in our time with DeeDee and wish her much happiness and countless good memories as she continues to travel with Doll Divas. We hope to see her again soon!)