WHY DID I DO THIS...AGAIN? 
In the past week and a half I have planned and somehow managed to pull off a three course dinner and a full on brunch for two different groups of about 30 people each. I am always excited when I first get the notion to do such parties. The excitement escalates as I dream up a fabulous menu and fun party ideas and favors. Then suddenly it begins it's dramatic decent into a black hole of stress and frustration as party time draws nigh and I go shopping for for supplies, try to find fridge space to store it all, find myself cutting fruit for over an hour, and am left with an accumulation of good for nothing odds and ends from the left over favors along with a big pile of trash. "Morning Of" stress is sure to sneak up on me the night before the event as I lay awake in bed for hours, (hours I don't have to give up because I already went to bed late as the fruit cutting and goody bag stuffing went longer than anticipated), thinking to myself "I don't know if I bought enough food". This is enevitably followed by yet another stop at the store the "morning of" to grab some needless bananas and other "just in case" edibles. The stop puts me even further behind schedule. Of course I woke up late due to the insomnia for the first 3 hours of my night and I surrender to my thrown together outfit (some jeans I wore yesterday and a track jacket) and 2nd day hair--no time for a shower on party day...I have to get my baby to my sister's before I leave. Good thing my husband has volunteered his Saturday morning to help me lift things I would normally strain myself doing, set up and flip pancakes. The whole way there he is mourning the fact that he is not on the deer hunt, and I pretend to lend a sympathetic ear but I'm thinking "Did I grab that tablecloth for the kids table?" He notices and reiterates his own thoughts for the past 3 weeks--"Honey, you need to learn how to say no". Then I feel guilty for being so obvious. However, it never fails that as soon as the tables are up, the food is displayed in it's perfect spread and the guests arrive...the excitement returns. I'm left feeling like I did a good thing and all the work and stress are worth it. I will forget about the mess, the sliced fingers, the endless shopping lists, the no sleep and worry...until next year when I volunteer to do it all again.
In the past week and a half I have planned and somehow managed to pull off a three course dinner and a full on brunch for two different groups of about 30 people each. I am always excited when I first get the notion to do such parties. The excitement escalates as I dream up a fabulous menu and fun party ideas and favors. Then suddenly it begins it's dramatic decent into a black hole of stress and frustration as party time draws nigh and I go shopping for for supplies, try to find fridge space to store it all, find myself cutting fruit for over an hour, and am left with an accumulation of good for nothing odds and ends from the left over favors along with a big pile of trash. "Morning Of" stress is sure to sneak up on me the night before the event as I lay awake in bed for hours, (hours I don't have to give up because I already went to bed late as the fruit cutting and goody bag stuffing went longer than anticipated), thinking to myself "I don't know if I bought enough food". This is enevitably followed by yet another stop at the store the "morning of" to grab some needless bananas and other "just in case" edibles. The stop puts me even further behind schedule. Of course I woke up late due to the insomnia for the first 3 hours of my night and I surrender to my thrown together outfit (some jeans I wore yesterday and a track jacket) and 2nd day hair--no time for a shower on party day...I have to get my baby to my sister's before I leave. Good thing my husband has volunteered his Saturday morning to help me lift things I would normally strain myself doing, set up and flip pancakes. The whole way there he is mourning the fact that he is not on the deer hunt, and I pretend to lend a sympathetic ear but I'm thinking "Did I grab that tablecloth for the kids table?" He notices and reiterates his own thoughts for the past 3 weeks--"Honey, you need to learn how to say no". Then I feel guilty for being so obvious. However, it never fails that as soon as the tables are up, the food is displayed in it's perfect spread and the guests arrive...the excitement returns. I'm left feeling like I did a good thing and all the work and stress are worth it. I will forget about the mess, the sliced fingers, the endless shopping lists, the no sleep and worry...until next year when I volunteer to do it all again.
2 comments:
Why wasn't I invited to any of these parties?????? Kidding! Sounds fun! I like the thrill of hosting parties too! Work, yes. Fun, absolutely!
Sorry you weren't invited...I didn't think I had too many friends who wanted to attend a Murder Mystery Dinner for the Young Women or a Haiti Days Brunch for my previous place of employment...I guess it's time to throw a party for MY FRIENDS!!!
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