Tuesday 23 November 2010

A Party Just Because


Somewhere between the frantic last minute preparations, shoving flowers into vases and tea lights into jam jars, making popcorn still in my pyjama bottoms ten minutes before people are due to arrive, slicing a layer of skin off my ankle in the shower, blood flowing down the drain like a scene from Psycho, pulling on a black dress found in the bottom of my wardrobe, eventually emerging ready from my room half an hour after the first guests had arrived, somewhere between all that and finally making it to my bed, sleepily, dreamily, in the early hours of Sunday morning, I manage to have a wonderful time. We pull it out the bag, C, C and I, and, even without M there to mix the cocktails and do the post-party washing up, we manage to throw a damn good party. We drink mulled cider, gingerbread Bellinis, and a pear punch which halfway through the night morphs into a rum punch due to lack of vodka. Our lovingly hand made Hokey Pokey collapses in the heat of the packed rooms, we find it, stickily melted, in all sorts of strange places the next day. Pizza is brought triumphantly from the oven at 1am, to great delight. My camera is appropriated at some point during the evening, in the morning there are photos on it I didn't take, I know I didn't take this one. Non of the neighbours complain, no glass is broken.


The clean up takes the best part of Sunday but afterwards the three of us collapse contentedly onto the sofa to watch the first part of William Boyd's Any Human Heart.


Monday morning I wake in the half light, realise the weekend is over, Saturday night just memories, and feel deflated, entirely unenthusiastic about the week ahead.

5 comments:

  1. A party "just because" is the best kind. (I can relate to the pj bottoms & digging in pile of clothes...one of these days I'll get back to more order. It was rather nice, back then:)

    Cheers, Becky.

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  2. Wonderful weekend. It's great to have a good party.

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  3. Oh I know that Monday morning feeling all too well (although could never describe it as perfectly as you do!). Party sounds fab and festive - am intrigued by the gingerbread bellinis!

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  4. Sounds just about perfect, and I too am salivating at the idea of gingerbread bellinis. Half way to another weekend already - chin up, as my dad used to say!

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  5. Those seasonal drinks sound yum! Thanks for the tip-off about the guardian, hadn't seen that! And if your masking tape is nice, look on the back and let me know who the manufacturer is - am sure your wrapping will be lovely!

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