WASN'T THAT A PARTY!

After Black Friday shopping, a local Santa Claus parade and the Argonauts win at Grey Cup, it was a party weekend. People had a good time- no injuries! After the party it is time to get back to the normal daily routines and a Monday morning. An anniversary of any event brings memories and reflections to those involved. So 100 years ago a Toronto team won the Grey Cup and ironically a Toronto team won it again! For me it was not about the winning but people coming from all over Canada to have a party! Celebrating in good spirit with rivalries but respect and all in good fun! Makes us proud to be Canadian that we can respect our differences and love each other anyway!

WHEN THE PARTY'S OVER

Some events stand out in our lives- like a big party, a wedding, a lifetime accomplishment, a super vacation. When it's over, the emotional high lasts for awhile then comes the letdown that it is over. Like the Calgary Olympics, for example! Such an incredible event in 1988! Made our country proud. Today we can visit the museum, see the ski jumping hill where Eddie the Eagle flew! It is not the same with the same excitement but there is a feeling there. The important aspect is we had the ride, the party! The opportunity to feel good and have fun and with a real physical site to visit again if needed! Our memories on the other hand are locked in our heads. Getting together with friends, relatives, acquaintances- reliving some of those times gives us a life. Good memories can give us strength through the hard times. Life needs hard work. Normal routines are good but planning and creating fun times are even better for our souls. We all need parties sometimes too. Summer is great for such events- an impromtu barbecue- "hey everybody bring something to my place Saturday! " We can not be afraid of the letdown- we know it will happen. It is more vital to feel deserving of fun in our lives. Do you party? Do you try for those fun times to alleviate the stress in your life? What are some of the things you like to do? Back to work, the party is over!

TO PLAN OR NOT TO PLAN

Planning helps us stay focussed on what needs to be done. We all have calendars- whether manual or on the computer, daybooks, little notes, reminders! A vacation is a good thing to plan as the time flies and before you know it- back at work! Sometimes in our busy planned lives it is good to relax and see where the day will take us! Plan and organize a party but let the party have a life of its own is one example. Can you just follow the path and enjoy the experience? Let's hope it's not the yellow brick one with a bad witch to which we must contend!

ANNIVERSARY TALES CONTINUE

For our 30th anniversary, we had a house party. About 40 people, friends, relatives, the kids' friends. Would have been more but some people just could not make it! Had music from the 60's and 70's playing. Put out the wedding and honeymoon albums. It was a Hawaiian theme as we had honeymooned in Hawaii. Each person given a plastic lei to wear. A picture of us with each guest or couple was taken separately by the cake. We received some lovely gifts which was not expected but nice. We used the pictures in our thank you cards. It was a good way to make sure there was a photo of all the guests with us. Celebrations of special events are a way to make the ordinary aspects of life memorable. On our 17th anniversary we planted a birch tree. Have you done special activities to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays? Tell me your tales!

OUR PRESENCE HELPS FILL THE ROOM

Adolph and I went to our bank's grand opening last night. They had moved the branch to a bigger location. Ate some munchies, listened to some speeches and congratulated the team on the event. We try to attend as many social events- large and small- well to help fill the room. Too often it is easy to say, no time to go or the event is not that important. It is important to the person hosting the event. I have given parties where the excuses for not attending are always interesting. Even the girls' weddings had some last minute cancellations or people who just forgot to respond to the wedding invitation. We went to a funeral home visitation of an elderly person recently. For the family, it meant so much to be able to say how many people attended in honour of the loved one. For me, there is an honour to be on someone's list of invitees. When others have been there for me, it is kind to be there for someone else. Do you attend social events? Do you try to fill the room? Have you been disappointed when hosting an event with the excuses from those who did not come?

FAMILY GET TOGETHERS

Getting together with family and friends during the holiday season is what makes the season joyous. My daughter and son-in-law had a small dinner party at their new home. We all pitched in to bring food- Adolph made his homemade lasagna with fresh pasta. It was an enjoyable evening with the little children running around and the adults eating and laughing. Times like that are what make memories for us all. Do you have special family events? Are they a tradition or does each year bring a different event? Do people come to stay with you over the holidays? Years ago my folks would visit and stay with family members for Christmas. Are there changes in your life?

THE POT LUCK LUNCH

Pot luck lunches are so typical this time of year. For work, churches, social clubs and even family events, everybody brings a dish and the table is full of a selection of goodies. Surprisingly, there are usually a variety of food items. Rarely does one get 20 salads! Life is often like a pot luck. Events unfold with a mix of people, opinions and results. We never know what the outcome will be until the gathering. I like the concept of pot luck for that reason. One dish does not make the meal, but the many dishes do. Like a party- it's the people that are assembled to have a good time that make the good time. It is a trust thing- we must trust that the whole is greater than any of its parts. Do you like pot lucks? They are rather fun. Enjoy your " pot luck" of life!