Saturday Party

The birthday candles
will be good for
several more parties!

We had such a good party Saturday that I didn't get around to writing about it until today.
We used to have potlucks all the time. We'd invite friends, former co-workers, family, colleagues from WSBA committees, and so forth, and always end up with an interesting mix of people. Everyone brings a dish and no-one goes hungry, and there are some pretty great conversations - after all, everyone has a nearly a party's worth of people who have never heard their best stories before!
We got out of the habit while in the process of buying this house. We were busy and (apart from a July 4th party last year) kept putting it off. This summer came so late, we kept delaying until the weather got dependably good; at last we decided it would never get dependably good, so I picked a weekend 3 weeks hence.
I honestly didn't notice that it was my birthday!
The impending party encouraged me to finish up some yardwork - mostly neatening up the detritus of a year. Kris and I hung a lot of our art all around the house. Two little cabinets that I'd been pondering how to put up in the house Eric managed to install in less than an hour -  proof that sometimes if you want something done right, don't be a fool, get someone who knows how!
Then we set out some food and sat back. People streamed in, food and drink flowed. Some friends were buying houses, so we all shared notes, advice and opinions. It got pretty busy there for a while but I think the head count included

• Kris and I and the cats (Shadow in particular demanded the attention she deserve)
• Mother-in-law and Larry
• Michelle and Randy Kramer (Michelle we know from WSBA although I run into her shopping at MITS now and then)
• Amy (my WSBA co-worker from so long ago; she was one of the conspirators trying to get Kris & I together )
• Matt (Kris' co-worker - he brought the cake!)
• Ken, Chrystal and their son Karl (Ken's from WSBA)
• Ted, Christal's dad
• Gail Gorud, who I know from WSBA committee work and also the CRAB IRB
• Matt and Jen, who we met at Proletariat Pizza (they're looking at houses)
• Mel and Daniel (we know Mel from Centennial and now from Pilates)
• Surely there were others, whose names will come to me. I was too busy cooking sausages and jabbering to take pictures, so I've included one of the detritus.

We learned from the party to have the trash/compost/recycling bins better organized and I think I'll want to set out a much better pile of veggie starters next time, but mostly it went really well. People don't require much entertaining really - just the chance to meet some new people and talk. What a great (as it happened) birthday party!