For the first time in over a year, we entertained INSIDE the house! We have gathered friends and family on the patio periodically, but remember, I live in Minnesota, so winter weather has greatly limited that ability.
Now that we have had both vaccinations and are in the "safe" zone, as are many of our friends, we are beginning to open our home, and we invited two friends for dinner on Good Friday.
I laughed at myself and wondered if I would know how to set the table, for Bruce and I have our dinner each evening on tv trays while watching the PBS News Hour. Meal time has been casual, to say the least. My sister teased me, saying I could Google how to set a table if I had forgotten on which sides of the plate to place the flatware.
Like riding a bike, however, I remembered how to do it, and I delighted in the process. I love setting the table not only because we have a variety of pretty dishes, but as I prepare the table, I open my heart to the guests who will enter the door. And after such a long time of not opening the door, of no one crossing the threshold, I was so eager to share our space, or food, our love.
During the day, as I chopped and sautéed and simmered, I glanced at the waiting table with its tulips, candles, white Damask napkins, blue and white Danish dishes and my mother's flatware, and I remembered other times of gathering with friends or family. The insightful conversation. The warm laughter. The increased connections. Oh, how I have missed that!
And it was good. I fixed risotto with peas and a delicious green salad with celery seed dressing. Our friends brought a yummy trifle with strawberries and blueberries and even left some for us to enjoy the next day. Don't you wish you had been there?
Now here is a confession. Good Friday is a solemn night--a time of lamentation, and we invited our friends to watch our church's service on Youtube with us and then we would have dinner. Well, we were not very solemn. Instead, we were almost giddy with our eagerness to be together. As we hugged, we seemed to have moved into Easter's rejoicing. I trust we were forgiven.
Our routine after our guests have left is to do a complete clean-up. Bruce is in charge of filling the dishwasher, and doing the additional hand washing. I return the table to its previous look, wipe, and put away the dishes. We are a good team. And as we do that, we review the evening's conversation, which feels like an additional blessing.
The next morning when I got up and walked through the house, I sensed a different energy in each of the rooms. It was if the house remembered one of its main purposes--to be a place of love and welcome.
I can't wait to do it again.
Have you entertained recently? How did that feel? I would love to know.
I have had people in my home this whole time, but just one on one - and all people in my "Covid pod" (mom, aunt, a few friends that I all see frequently). We have not formally entertained, but we never really did that anyway. We mainly have casual summer BBQs. I'm glad you had such a wonderful time!
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