What’s going on? It’s only 4:00 pm and already the moon is out. As I glanced up, an airplane wwaayy up high crossed the face of what I can see as the moon’s. The sun is shining as well and it is quite warm for December. Even last night, for the Ladies’ Group party, I had to run the air conditioner to cool the house for the hot guests. When I was bustling about, I did, too, get a bit warm but once seated, was quite comfortable. Today was predicted to be in the mid-70’s but later in the week, we will also have lows in the 40’s. Wrap and peel weather, to be sure!
My lips are chapped and are most annoying to me. Perhaps dry is more the word, but regularly are slathered with Blistex balm to sooth them. It’s not working! Lipstick does little to solve the problem either. I am drinking more water in hopes it will touch my lips and then stay there to moisten.
The Ladies’ Group party was very nice, not quite as many guests as I would have liked, but just the perfect number for my chairs. Before the ladies came, I had pulled out four folding chairs just in case we needed them, being easier to handle, I thought, than the heavier metal ones from the river room. My back did not like wrestling them from the front hall closet, as nothing is ever as simple as it seems. The closet is spacious, only not deep, so one must pivot left or right to get things out. My back was quite pleased to lie down at the end of the night.
Martie called me from work on her way over Monday night to ask if I needed anything. Ice! She really made my day by bringing a bag of ice. I had gotten a bag from Jessica but feared it would not last through the party and now, I had enough to make it for a couple more parties. Who gets so excited about a bag of ice?? The ladies arrived in teams, as I requested they car-share to make parking more convenient.
My plans were to serve the bottle wine from Thanksgiving, brought by Larry, only it was not a screw cap. While I own a wonderful Pampered Chef wine bottle opener, I have never used it. Oh, oh! Wanting to be sure all things were ready before the guests arrived, I asked my neighbor, Randy, to open it for me. Instead of using my fancy PC tool, he came equipped with three different ones, in order to instruct me in the fine art of bottle opening. I cannot complain since I was the one asking the favor, right? At least I didn’t have to break the top off on the edge of a table like they do in the Westerns! Fortunately, the one guest knew how to use the corkscrew and opened her own bottle of Hawaiian wine, which many enjoyed.
Gretchen brought me a gift for being hostess---a lovely gift box with a roll of toilet paper in it. Oh that Gretchen!!! I just love her!!! The ladies brought refreshments, a delicious assortment of treats, some homemade and others store purchased, all perfect for the party. I got to keep some leftovers including some Renee’s husband made, called “Whoopie Pies” which resemble round Suzy Q’s, with layers of colored, flavored cream filling. One was cherry flavored and the other minty. Add a pretty do-dad in frosting to the top, and it looks like a professional treat. She left the remainder here for me! Talk about a wonderful leftover! I have been munching on my remaining meatballs which smell and taste so good.
The Jaguar game was due to begin about 8:30 but that was not the reason people started to leave. It was like all of a sudden the party was over, the moment I hate the most. Just because one or two were leaving, they all decided to leave. I was hoping some would hang around to watch the game with me, but at least Terri T. stayed and helped straighten up. Carol was so funny as she was one who actually was hustling to get home for the game. She and her dad have a ritual where she calls him before or during the game to compare notes, instead of watching in the same house. Like I do with my sisters and friends in WI when a Packer game is on! Only there are 1200 miles keeping us apart!
Terri cleared the table, rolled the table cloth up, and even carried the chairs back to the dining room. She wanted to rinse the dishes too and load the machine but I stopped her from doing that. She knew my back was tired and had mercy on me. I had told her that Justin would move the chairs but she just got busy, like a whirlwind, and took care of it. It tickled me to see her using the Windex on the glass-topped table in the family room, because she knew right where to go to find it—under the sink! It was great! Before she left, she gave me a couple pizza-sized cookies from those she brought, from Panera Bread…mmmmm!
It felt good to lie down on the bed to watch the football game but when the Jaguars were doing so poorly, going into half time, I simply rolled over and went to sleep. At some point I remember hearing the score of 34-14, not a total wipe out, but guess I didn’t miss much. Not edge-of-the-seat like the Packer game was, to be sure! Sleep restored my back and I woke to a cleaned up house. Nice!
