The Simple Things

It doesn't get any better than Saturday night at the Farm. Four friends joined us. Among the six, four grew up together, so the history of the group was wonderful--so many stories, so much laughter, so many good times shared.

The weather was just cool enough; the night sky was clear above the pecan trees. See photo above. The wine was plentiful; Ken's Caesar Salad and Tomato Soup were to die for; and the ice cream with blueberries and Grand Marnier wasn't bad either.

So what makes a good time--the setting? the cost of the wine? the quality of the wine glass? the complexity of the dinner? The Roneys determined long ago that people make a good time. It's hosts with a plan; it's interesting guests; it's conversation shared; it's memories made. The humblest home can be the site of the most pleasant gathering.

We've talked with our children about entertaining, and we've urged them not to wait for everything to be perfect. We've encouraged them to be the catalyst for bringing people together. With a little planning, an evening can be both simple and memorable.

Ours certainly was.

2008

The trappings of Christmas and 2007 are put away, and 2008 is here. What will it bring? I am reminded of that song, Que Sera Sera---what will be, will be.

Just a few days ago I found a picture of the group with whom we spent New Year's Eve 1999--fourteen of us, the women in black, the men in black tie. It was a lovely evening, full of expectation and excitement and a little apprehension. We weren't sure what would happen with computer systems or the stock market or transportation systems and how our every day lives might be affected at 12:01 a.m. 2000. As it turned out, there was no effect at all that day, but oh, my---what has happened since!

It was 2001 when the changes really began for us. First, the events of September 11 changed the world for all of us. The ripples and reverberations of that day affect us every day, and we tend to measure time and change, not with the year 2000 as we all expected, but instead with September 11, 2001.

On the positive side, and for us personally, Andrew finished college in December that year and married Tara in 2002. In 2003, Tom and I remodeled the farm house and bought a Harley, which gave birth to two new avocations for us. Elizabeth married Afonso in 2004. Brooks was born in 2006, and Alexander joined us in 2007.

So, you see, we are excited and expectant about 2008--we can't wait to see what it brings!