Solstice party and looking forward

Yesterday we held our annual solstice party, always on the Friday closest to the solstice. This time of year people often have tickets on Saturday, when we used to hold it, so we’ve moved it to Friday the last 3 years and more friends are free to come. We invited 32 people this year and 28 came. Neither of the ones who said they were coming but didn’t show bothered to let us know. That makes me feel bad. It’s our biggest party of the year along with the party for my juried intensive poetry workshop—but that’s outside in the garden. We used to hold a garden party in July with 80 plus people but no longer. Some people still ask us why we stopped, usually people who never give parties, I suspect. I can’t do it and my friend Elise who used to cook with me died this year. I cook for two days for this party and that’s enough, but this year again I had my ex-assistant Melenie as she came from Hadley to cook with me on Friday. I miss Melenie constantly. She was my assistant for four years, and like a much earlier assistant Jeffrey, she became a good friend. We had a delightful afternoon cooking. We exchanged presents and ate stolen together and caught up. I am slowly finding excellent prospects for the June workshop. I read the manuscripts usually as they come in, although the newest ones will have to wait till after the holidays. I read them all at least twice; most of them more than that. Some I know at once are not up to the level of the class or poets I feel are aiming to do things where I don’t think I can help them. Those I let know quickly they aren’t in. Occasionally there’s a poet I accept immediately, but mostly I keep the entries to mull over to be sure it’s someone I want to work with and believe I can help move to a new level. By early to mid January I make my final decisions. I started cooking on Thursday, the chocolate pie and the first stages of the cassoulet, about five and a half hours work total. Then Friday Melenie and I did the major cooking. Woody made his signature noodle kugel and we straightened the house to receive a crowd.it was a lively party and we even managed to include some new people so that for once in this village, our regular friends met some new friends. We locked up the cats in the back of the house and they were furious. When we were down to about eight of us around 10:30, we let them out and they demonstrated their ire by refusing to come to anybody, dragging out toys and strewing them about and running back and forth chasing each other and ignoring us. This morning, however, they forgave us and didn’t even wake us up when we slept in till after eight. We put away leftover food last night and did a load of dishes, but today is the major cleanup. The house is finally back together, extra leaf out of the diningroom table, chairs and houseplants and cushions back where they belong. We have another load of dishes waiting. Woody took an enormous load of empty bottles and used paper plates and plastic glasses to the dump, where he had to spend half an hour sorting everything into the proper recycling bin. We probably have another hour’s work. Giving a party with a lot of food is work, all right, but it is also fun and a way to getting to know new people socially in an easy way. For Melenie, it was a way to reconnect with a number of friends and acquaintances. It was a great partiy. I think just about everyone had a good lively time.