"Oooh one of those long lunch meetings?"

my neighbour asked as I told her I was just back from a meeting which had included lunch.
Um...not exactly. First of all I was expecting it to be just "coffee". Second, we actually did a lot of work.
I was collected by one of the two people I was meeting with and we went to a nearby cafe for the "coffee". Knowing that I would at least be late back I had left the Senior Cat with very careful instructions about how to heat his own lunch.  I also told him, "I might be back in time to do it but it is more likely to be later than that."
It was just as well because the person who had collected me said, "Let's make this lunch." The other person agreed so I made the proper noises and we pulled out notes and pens and set to work.
It is said that "two's company and three's a crowd" but the three of us do work well together. We went through each item and made a decision. We ate and made more decisions.
P...asked about including something new. We agreed it was a good idea.  There was another new idea too.
"I'll type them up and let you have the changes," A.... told me as she dropped me off at my gate again, "Can you read it through and get back to me?"
Of course. I prowled in. The Senior Cat was finishing his lunch - and reading of course.
     "I thought it would take you longer than that," he told me.
No. We got on with the job.
This was the knitting and crochet schedule for the state's main agricultural show next year. For years it never changed. People knew exactly what to expect. The items looked as if they had not moved from one year to the next. Nobody was very interested - or so it seemed. 
And then A...got involved. Her husband was already heavily involved in other areas. He knew something needed to be changed. The event needs variety. New ideas have to come in. It has taken a lot of work to change this area - and there is still a lot of work to be done.
I know what is going to happen when I mention the changes to other people who need to know and need to be involved. They will grumble. They will ask why anything needs to change. I will be told that their "favourite" class, the one they intended to enter this year, has been removed from the schedule. It will be, as always, an excuse for them not to enter anything. 
It doesn't really bother me. There will be other people who will enter - and hopefully some of them will be people who have never entered anything before. They will do it because there is something new there, something which has caught their attention and imagination. 
Sometimes "long lunch meetings" can reach a long way.