Success. How individuals define it, is a personal choice. And I had a chance to watch celebrations of personal, entrepreneurial, and culinary successes at events I recently attended.

I started out on Sept. 25 at the Recovery Celebration at Durham Central Park. The event served as a community program and expo honoring those recovering from substance abuse.

In addition to featuring inspiring stories and testimonials from those who have been successful in beating their addictions, there were also a number of community organizations and agencies present to help support addiction free lifestyles.

The agencies and organizations present had a variety of information available for those in attendance. From brochures on how to talk to teens about tobacco to information about HIV/AIDS testing, there was a wealth helpful data available.

Alicia Turner was in attendance promoting In Home Care Services, along with members of her staff, Ashlee Jensen, Kwadjo Bediako and Darius Gibbs.

In Home Care Services recently received accreditation, with no recommendations, an achievement that only about 3 percent of organizations nationally attain.

Likewise workers from Removing Mountains Community Enrichment Program were also on hand, educating those who were present about their organization.

Their mission is to provide quality mental health services to the community in Durham by treating individuals with dignity and respect.

It was a unique outreach program and celebration for those who need specialized support services.

From Durham Central Park, I was off to the American Tobacco Historic District's Bay 7 for the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the Council for Economic Development, or CED.

The CED, which was established in 1984, serves to increase the entrepreneurial growth and culture in Research Triangle Park and throughout the state.

The CED serves it members by providing education and training, business-to-business networking, and conferences.

The gathering Friday was a festive one. Following opening preliminaries, guests enjoyed barbecue, beer and chocolates.

With the eating came lots of mingling and meeting.

Mary Jane Cunningham has been a member of the CED for more than a year and she shared that she found it to be a rewarding experience. She participated in a 10 week program that helped her jump-start her new business.

Jill Maurer, on the other hand, just recently joined the CED two days before the event.

Maurer had been a member of similar organization but had heard good things about the CED and decided to give it a try.

One of the fun spots at the event was the golf simulator set up by Administaff.

Guests had a chance to try for a hole-in-one with a chance to win a weekend getaway for two to Houston that included airfare, hotel, dinner and VIP Hospitality Pass. Houston is the national home of Administaff.

Steffen Sheerin was one of a few skilled golfers who was able to make the hole-in-one. Sheerin is the president of Village of Pinehurst, ironically, home to some of the best golf courses in the country.

On the stage, Jazz Tones provided music for the first part of the afternoon as people continued to enjoy the party.

I ended the night Friday at the Regulator Bookstore for the booksigning featuring the new book, "Chefs of the Triangle: Their lives, Recipes and Restaurants," by Ann Prospero. Prospero, a Durham writer and food blogger, previously published a novel, "Almost Night," and "Florida Suite," a collection of poetry.

"Chefs of the Triangle" features some of the area's finest chefs. Some of the Durham-area chefs include Shane Ingram of Four Square, Jason Cunningham of Fairview at the Washington Duke Inn, Drew Brown and Andy Magowan of Piedmont, Scott Howell of Nana's, Amy Tornquist of Watts Grocery, Matthew Kelly of Vin Rouge, Chris Stinnett and John Vandergrift of Pop's: A Durham Trattoria and Rue Cler, and Jim Anile of Revolution.

On Friday, Ingram and Anile were present for the booksigning, along with Prospero.

At the top of the evening, we heard from Prospero, who read excerpts from the book.

The audience learned more about the two chefs present, beyond just the name of their restaurants.

Following the reading, there was a question and answer session, moderated by Prospero.

The audience was quite inquisitive, asking everything from whether the chefs cook at home to if they follow recipes.

The final part of the evening was sampling dishes prepared by the chefs.

Next weekend, the Junior League of Durham and Orange Counties will host the 70th Annual Bargain Sale on Saturday at the American Legion in Chapel Hill.

The public is invited to come and shop thousands of gently-used items like clothing for the whole family, jewelry, handbags shoes, household items (pots, pans, dishes and electrical appliances), furniture, decorations, hardware and garden, sports equipment, children's toys, electronics, music, books and much more.

It's an economic stimulus for anyone looking for a hook-up.

Angela Ray is an actress, author and motivational speaker. For comments or tips on future events, e-mail her at Angela@mahoganydime.com.