Christmas Dinner Party with V and S

It's 11:30 as I type..... we just got back from our around-the-corner neighbors' house.... V and S had invited us tonight for "a little holiday fun," as V had told us when she asked us to save tonight for her. We thought she would have just a few of the neighbors over to her house.

My husband and I were truly surprised..... we were the only neighbors there..... the rest of the guests (four other couples) have been friends of theirs for nearly twenty years. And V had cooked up a sit-down dinner..... chicken, ham, cornbread dressing, green beans, sweet potatoes, cornbread, garlic bread. Bottles of wine, and chocolate-almond torte for dessert. V's dining room table was set with her holiday china and glassware..... and of course her house was filled with just about every ornament that Christopher Radko has made over the years.

What a nice group of people... the energy around that dining room table was amazing, and we just sat and talked and no one got up from the table except to get more water or wine. Funny stories, family stories, local topics..... lots of good things to talk about the entire evening. V & S and their friends are going next weekend for a holiday luncheon at one of the waterfront bed and breakfast homes. They invited us to go with them, and of course we said yes.

One of the funny parts of the evening.... after dinner and before dessert, V went into the kitchen and came back with a small glass vase filled two-thirds of the way up with pennies. She asked each couple to guess the amount of pennies....... V looked at me, I looked at her...... there was a twinkle in her eye....... she was doing what I do here at all of our Charades parties--- have everyone guess the amount of something in a jar or glass or whatever.

One of the other couples had the right amount of pennies, and they got a special Christmas ornament, and then V gave all the other couples a little package of silver ornaments. Again, I got that little twinkle from V as she looked at me. I just smiled at her and didn't say a word, but of course I was very flattered.

When my husband and I were walking home from her house, I told him that all of those couples would make great additions to our Charades parties. What a nice night.....