Becky Says...

December 6, 2000

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The Party

I've finished the last project for a client that needed doing this week. Now I get to work on Christmas stuff for a bit.

And I'm planning to go to my favorite of all Christmas parties. It's held every year, spread over two houses (next to each other), with related owners. They invite all their friends and family, and all ages mingle.

The rule is once invited, always welcome (if you've been invited one year, you're welcome to come again the ensuing years). That means a lot of return guests. And the family has been in town for a lot of years. They have ties in all sorts of areas and all across the economic strata of the community, and are always adding people to the list. Makes for a really interesting mix.

There are good cooks in both households, so you're guaranteed to have good food. The same foods are served at both houses, so you don't have to wonder if you're missing anything if you happen to get so full at one table that you can't bear eating at the other.

I have always had a good time at these parties. Probably my favorite moment at one of them was the year when I heard the hostess say, "This is Becky, and she likes dogs." The hostess was behind me, so I turned around to see to whom I was about to be introduced who would need that particular bit of information.

Turns out the stranger was a Labrador Retriever named Chester. He was new to the family that year, so it was his first Christmas party. Apparently he had just had an encounter with another guest who did not like dogs. Poor boy was quite puzzled that such strange humans were in the house---those who didn't like him. I talked fairly gently to him for a minute or so, to let him know he had a new friend, then he put his head up for a pat. That sealed the deal; we were buddies.

Another year, there was live music of the bluegrass persuasion. One of the family members was in a bluegrass band, and the other members were at the party. Now that I think about it, the others must have known this impromptu concert might happen---it's not the norm to take your mandolin to a party unless you think you might need it. Anyway, it was warm enough that we all wandered outside, and the band started playing. They took requests, and were happy to have the audience sing along. That was great.

Good food, good company, and good fun. That's my idea of a party.

Text © copyright 2000 Becky