Implementing the Plan

We don't entertain - at least not CROWDS.  You know, a couple or two for dinner; once we had eight.  But since we moved to this smaller house [only 11 years ago] we have not had a big party.  But a big birthday deserves a big party... and Mitchell is celebrating a big birthday next weekend. 

Imagine putting on a party for grown-ups with a child's touch.  "Can I pick the guest list?" "Of course.  It's your birthday."  "Can I invite my tennis team?"  "Of course."  "And, Hank?  and the little girls?"  "Of course."  "Can we play bocce?"

So, it will be a blend of old friends and new, tennis partners, a few from work, family, BFF's, and the nice couple across the street.  About 20 in all, so not a mob, but way more than we can manage inside, so a picnic in the carport, with games in the yard.  Wine, beer, pulled pork, tomatoes, of course.  And a very special birthday cake - the honoree's favorite.

Menu picked, colors decided - hot lime, hot citrus yellow, orange and aqua.  Lots of Gerbera daisies to arrange [sorry, Jane, I shouldn't use that word, when I really mean "stick into available vases"!], enough plates and wine glasses.  I've collected votives in green (citronella) and orange and an assortment of small vases.  Plans well underway.

I spent the morning deadheading in the garden and then we spent the afternoon hosing down the deck, the driveway and the car port and washing off the yard chairs.  Elizabeth and her husband will be here on  Friday to help me with final details and a week from now we will be sitting down to dinner.  It'll be fun.  I can hardly wait!!

Getting Back to Life

After three months of pure hell at work, life if finally starting to return to normal.  Tho I've been keeping up by reading sporadically, the last thing that I have had energy for is finding something to write about.  I guess I have been so focused on work that it was all I could think about, and the last thing I wanted to write about. [Clearly still too tired to clean up the grammar above!]

We did accomplish a project that was huge and complicated, but which took its toll on everyone.  Mitchell worked a zillion hours taking a load off of me, but still it has taken nearly two weeks to finally catch up on sleep and discover there is a world outside.

So, May has slipped into June; June disappeared into July; and July baked into August.  It seems like the heat wave might dissipate some this weekend and I hope to get into the garden - at least to deadhead a bit... ok, a lot!