Fun & Fellowship

I confess to having a hard time getting started today.  You know you're getting old when you sit up on the side of the bed in the morning and say to yourself "you really should have taken that ibuprofen last night"! lol  Why does it seem like the days you need to get the most done are the days you have a headache or feel tired or just plain don't feel like doin' nothin'?  Oy.  So while I'm waiting for my internal get-up-and-go to crank into gear, I figure why not post something?  It's time for a real post anyway---not those lazy psuedo-posts I've been doing lately! lol

There have actually been some fun things going on in this 'chere house.  I've been enjoying fantastic fellowship with friends.  How's that for some alliteration this morning?  It started 2+ weeks ago on a Friday evening with a visit from my dear cousins.  My cousin Suzanne and her family stopped by for a couple nights on their way from Pennsylvania back home to Florida.  We had less than 48 hours together, but we packed it full to the brim with fun!  We ate---and ate and ate some more!  I had so much fun getting to cook for guests that I told them they were Going to eat whether they were hungry or not! lol  While they were here,  her husband Keith and their boys raked leaves from a huge section of my yard.  What a blessing!  You guys have no idea what a relief that was!  They piled them up into a gigantic pile and then we set fire to it.  I say this with  caution, but there is something quite delightful about setting something on fire and watching it burn.  Maybe that's why I have candles lit all the time. lol  Anyway, it was a glorious bonfire---for about 5 minutes.  Leaves are like that. No substance whatsoever.  Didn't even give us a chance to get the hotdogs out.  Party poopers!  But we did have time to get a few pictures and enjoy the blaze and warmth in the cool air, so I guess that was good enough.  Then we went inside to eat some more.....=)  The leaf blaze was kind of like our time together---warm and delightful, but over far too soon.  But as Suzie said,  We will be thankful that it was, instead of wishing it were longer.  That doesn't mean I'm not hoping they'll come back soon though!  =)

Then there was last Friday.  Yes, I like Friday evenings---at least the ones before my Saturday off!  I had a dinner party.  So exciting---I felt like a grownup! lol  I really hope there is someone else out there who knows what I mean by that!  Do you ever have moments where you feel like a kid inside, but it suddenly hits you that you really are a grownup and getting to do some of the things you dreamed about when you were a kid---and then you feel a sense of amazement?  Maybe it's just me! lol  Anyway, my dinner party went without a hitch and I enjoyed myself immensely.  =)  There were 5 of us, and we ate and talked and drank coffee and ate some more and talked some more.  Then came the music.  For me, music is just a natural finish to an evening of food and conversation.  It's like dessert after a fine meal.  Just the right finish.  Of course, singing is much easier Before the meal, but it doesn't usually happen then.  Not sure why.  Maybe it's because before the meal people are busy with the prep work and have no time for singing.  Whatever the reason, it seems to be the way it is.  It just so happened that in the group were 2 "traveling minstrels" who just so happened to bring their guitars with them.  =)  So after coffee and dessert, we moved our "conversation" to the living room and spent time singing, playing, talking, laughing.  As I said, just the right finish to the evening.  The thing is, now I want to do it some more.  Hopefully there will be more, with more friends, soon.

Now we come to last night.  I know, this has turned into a small autobiography by now, but dont' worry.  I'll be back to pseudo-posts soon enough! lol  Last night was an evening that has been in the "sometime" section of the plan book for a while.  I have a couple friends that cope with a disease called Porphyria .  Because of their "allergies" (for want of a better term) to sunlight and flourescent light and chemicals (they have more than one kind of porphyria--as if one wasn't bad enough for them!), going out anywhere requires a plan!  They really love a restaurant nearby called Dos Perros---a moderately upscale Mexican restaurant near to them.  I love Mexican food, and had never been, so we decided to go together at some point.  Last night was finally "some point".  We waited until dark, called ahead to connect with the staff to make sure they would hold off on the chemical spraying (table cleaning, etc.) and set off for Dos Perros (which means Two Dogs in Spanish. I  don't know why!  I didn't name the place! lol)  It was an amazing experience really.  Fantastic customer service!  The manager there--and some of the wait staff as well, have come to know these friends, and are Very accomodating to their allergies.  The manager himself came out and seated us, addressing Esther and William as friends.  Out waiter Enrique conversed with Esther in Spanish--so fun!--and recommended dinner options that might suite our taste and yet accomodate William and Esther's allergies.   I don't know if I have ever been to a restaurant where the service was more attentive and yet completely unintrusive.  The food was yummy of course, but what made the experience was the service and atmosphere.  Fine dining--in a dressy casual way, complete with dim lighting, music, and bustling atmosphere.  Not to mention guacamole that is out of this world!  If you ever get the chance to go to Dos Perros in Durham, North Carolina, take it!  As for me, once again I'm looking forward to the next time.  There seems to be a theme here with me! lol  All these fun times leave me wanting to do them all over again.  I guess that's a good thing.  So much better than having experiences that leave you hoping to never ever do them again. lol

If you are still awake after this epistle,  I hope you are having the Merriest of Christmastides.  =)  Christ the Savior is born!  Celebrate!!