I like parties. I like to attend parties, and I like to throw parties. There are a few reasons I like parties so much. Yes, of course, it is more fun to drink with others than alone (for me, no judgement. I partake in both styles of drinking).Moreover, I love community. I love building and finding communities. I think this is why I enjoyed teaching so much. I also like to organize, plan and create (another reason I liked teaching).  But you see, while throwing parties and teaching have much in common, throwing a party does not require cajoling teenagers to read, grading papers or explaining to parents why their child is failing. Nope that is the sole domain of teachers.

Each year my husband and I throw a chili cook off. I am a vegetarian, so for me this has nothing to do with food; it has everything to do with building community. I am a wonderful corespondent so I still stay in contact with friends from different states and time periods of my life. This chili cook off is the one time a year my brother's high school friend, my college friends, my cousins, my husband's cousins and so on can get together and get to know each other. It is a whirlwind for me, and it usually flies by, and when everyone has gone, I am left drunk, awake and alone. I have been energized (which is great because...cleaning. Please stand by on my post regarding party cleaning).

I also enjoy organizing, planning and creating. The chili cook off is not the only party we throw throughout the year, but it is the only party we through with such a big guest list. The rest of the parties are small and a bit more intimate so the first thing we do is plan the guest list. Some parties are for a certain group: our families or our neighbors. But others we construct the perfect guest list. Who would be a good group for a murder mystery on NYE or who would like to drink wine and have good conversation on the deck. This is the first stage of planning.

Then comes the theme. I think if I were richer, my themes would be amazing. But since I am always on a budget and really hate waste, my themes are not necessarily themes; sometimes they are feels. What is the feeling I want for this party. Typically, it is comfy and relaxed. But sometimes I also want it to be fun and excessive. I have found reasonable ways to create a theme: lighting, table clothes and taking things off your walls and hanging other things there. In a later blog I will talk about how we turned our house into a casino.

Food- this is rarely my domain. My husband is the cook. But putting the food out, that is all me. And I start thinking about this the day before. I look at my menu. I look at all of my serving plates and bowls and then I get the sticky notes out and label what each plate/bowl will be used for. Then I begin to place out where each will go. These decisions are based on a variety of things to come in a later blog.

I like parties.