The Helping Hands of Friends

Last Evening we hosted a dinner party  for a group of friends from our church. Some of our guests  brought the salads, breads, and desserts. I did the meat, two potato dishes, and a roasted vegetable dish for 30 . I am in my element with this type of thing so my day had gone pretty well by doing what prepping I could,  pre-cooking, and the tables earlier in the day. 

The last thirty minutes however was a different story. My menu, presentation, and table scape required a lot of last minute work. I had a pot of potatoes that I had cooked. It was the biggest pot I have and it was filled to the top with about 20 pounds of hot boiled potatoes. They had boiled over and had made a huge mess on the top of my stove. The stove top  WAS sparkling earlier in the day. It was time to mash the potatoes with two tubs of sour cream, butter, and cheese and I could not find my masher. I knew I had given it a new home in my kitchen just the day before and I could not remember where it was.

My last minute solution was to use my electric mixer. The beaters were not long enough to reach the bottom of the pot so you can only imagine the last minute mess I was creating on my apron-free self, the counters, the walls, and the kitchen floor.  The stove had a big boiled over cooked on spot too. I had everything hot and plated in time but I was left with a very last minute mess in my kitchen as the first guests arrived at the door. I was using my kitchen island and counters as the serving space so the mess I had created was NOT the look I was going for!

When I opened the door I saw the faces of friends and out of my mouth came "I am so glad to see some friendly faces and helping hands." Without hesitation they willingly and generously pitched right in. Some filled the sink with dishwater and washed up my cooking pans and wiped up the counters, another tackled the stove top, and others filled water pitchers and set the tables with last minute items. They pulled some quick tricks just like I would have done by quickly cleaning my counters and kitchen of unneeded items and placed them out of sight in my walk in pantry. 

Within minutes my friends had saved the day. As the evening continued so did my friends with their willing and helping hands as the tables were cleared, desserts were served, and the clean up completed.

It was a great evening with friends and it left me feeling very grateful for the new friends that I have made since moving here. I love coming together as friends with a common goal and seeing it completed. Although this time it was very last minute and unplanned the joy I experienced was just as sweet!

True Reason for the Season

You cannot have too many reminders of the true meaning of the season in your home. This simple nativity is a favorite of mine for two reasons. I think it is adorable and it also brings me great joy when I think of the dear friends who made it and gave it to me.

Extra Special Ornaments

These two handmade ornaments are from a set of six that were given to me by a dear friend. The ornaments were made and embroidered by the mother of my friend. I became a very close friend with the mother. She was the same age that my grandmother would have been if she hadn't passed away when I was a young girl. Our friendship was an unlikely one since I was in my early thirty's and she was in her eighties. I visited her often, took her shopping, and I spent many hours with her after her stroke.

When she passed away her daughter gave me the ornaments as a keepsake in her memory. Every year when I get out the ornaments I am reminded of my dear, dear friends.

Arizona Snowman

This ornament was a gift from a friend. It is an Arizona snowman. It is one of my favorites!

Cousins and Friends

Outings with the cousins builds strong family bonds, great memories, and lasting friendships. These two cousins are enjoying a day at the lake with their families.