s e v e n i s a j o u r n e y

A few weeks ago we decided to have a party at our place on Boxing Day. We sent out emails to most everyone we know, and waited to see who would show up. This was to be a “bring a plate or bottle” sort of Party, but Steve and I would do all the main-dinner cooking, as it is St Stephen’s day, and it seemed appropriate for the stephens to do the cooking.

All told 30 people were here (including us), though Alan could not stay for long… only long enough to drop by, frost a cake, and scram. For short-visitng friends he does a wonderful job in the baked-good department! Big pots of beef stew and black bean soup are a good way to feed masses of people cheaply. It also allows for the various dietary needs of our guests (some no-dairy, some vegetarian, some muslim). After dinner we set up the Yurt with the intention of having a big sing-around and bardic circle, but we made a summertime miscalculation- by the time the sun was getting low in the sky, the evening was getting along and people started to leave. We did have a smaller group in there singing, but it was not the mass shindig we were hoping for. Next time we will have a party like this in Autumn, so it will be dark sooner and sitting in a yurt around a campfire will happen before we all fall alseep!

Didn’t know some of the people who came all that well, which is great because it gave me a chhance to meet new people. Some were relatives of other friends. Some were people who share mailing lists, but whom we had never really met before. Fun!

Now for a few hours of recovery (Tam is currently napping in the yurt which is still set up in the back yard) before people come over this eveing for gaming. Woot! I hope you all are enjoying your holiday time!