party notes

I think the party on Saturday went well and folks had a good time and were well fed. Lots of food, lots of desserts, lots of folks, some I haven't seen in a while, others I see often but never had had a chance to sit and chat. For all the organizing and meetings and event planning that I often find myself doing, it's nice to get together with people once in a while without meeting notes and timed agendas. Just sit, chat and chill, eat, play cards, eat again.

It was also one of the first parties I've thrown where people were able to bring their kids. (Grant it, I don't throw that many parties all that often.) It was tricky keeping track of the kids, making sure they don't go climbing out of the open windows. One of the guests who had their 2 year old son commented later that she had often worried that their son wouldn't be able to experience the large "family" parties with food and noise and kids like she did, since they don't have a lot of family nearby. So it was a good feeling to create that kind of space.

Details from Saturday seem like a blur. I can't quite remember if I had a chance to greet everybody or spend a bit of time saying hello.

As people got a chance to chat they realized how we were more connected than we realized, as people discovered common relatives and friends and were left wondering why they hadn't known of each other before then.

Other funny moment from the party (repeated several times): though 3 years apart, my sister and I look very similar , so much so that at first glance we look like each other. Though I'm a bit taller, you can't quite tell that unless we're standing next to each other. Alot of guests had never met my sister, so when I was busy doing something else, they would often make eye contact or greet her with full hugs, before realizing, up close, that um, she wasn't me. She was quite graceful in letting them know that she was not me since this often happens between us.

Fabulous food from the party: creme brulee with cherries on a graham cracker chocolate crust, fresh sweet strawberries with lemon quark (a kind of German yogurt), pinakbet, smooth and delicious sake and the creamy garlic dip for the fried spinach.

Lucky for us, my family had a family prayer in the evening, so we packed all the leftovers into my sister's car to deliver to the next party. Whew!

Giving it up to D, my co-hostess, considering she didn't know most of the people there, but greeted most everyone and put together our red envelope favors. And to Fluxor, the Fry Master!