Do any of you have those moments before a party when you wonder if you are sane or not, that you'd actually invite 60 people to your home? I'm past it now. For me it is that couple of days before the party. I live in an old house, which requires LOTS of cleaning before it is acceptable. I sit there at o'dark-thirty in the morning, and wonder why I set this all in motion. Now it is the wee hours of the day of the party. It finally got "warm" enough that I spent yesterday morning getting the front of the house semi-decorated (we're getting to that age where we don't do much, since it is an old house, natural garland, wreaths, and red velvet bows and a fake candle in every window is enough). I need to do a bit of a mop-up on the floors, and it occurs to me that my ash tray needs to be emptied and cleaned (my smoking friends do smoke outside). The chili is in the fridge, all I need to do is warm it and assemble any other food. I have a freind who goes into a tizzy when she even has a few people over for dinner. She says I'm the most relaxed hostess she knows. She is bringing her BIL, who is terrified of dogs. I'm now down to one very old, very skittish, afraid of her shadow, JR terrier. He's been here before and he was afraid of her mother. This does not concern me much, I'm more afraid that some of my single-digit friends (there should be a half dozen of them) will be less than gentle in handling her, and she may bite if they aren't good to her. She's never bitten any one, mind you, but children, especially male of a certain age, seem to like to torture animals. Luckily most of my friends understand the problem and will try to protect my geriatric puppy. So all I really need to do today is shower, clean my bathroom, and maybe mop a floor. I am astonished, too, that my party is so popular that a couple of friends who have literally been on their death beds this year are planning on being here. I'm excited and looking forward to it!
Life is good .... but only if you want it to be.