"Least require chocolate" or "Wonderland. In October"
In our family, we have an annual cousins Christmas party in the week or so before Christmas. The host family rotates so that no-one's left with the burden every year and this year, it's my parents. Our house is definitely larger than the condo we lived in for over two decades, but the communal areas are a little broken up and with 35 to 40 people expected, it's just not big enough. In past years, other families have graciously allowed us to use their larger homes for the parties while my folks did the actual hosting, but this year, we're having it here at our place and we're taking the party outside.
In preparation, the two weekends, we did a kind of "dry run" set-up. Two weeks ago, I helped my parents rig up a tarp to cover our patio to help shade the area and keep the heat in. Last weekend, a cousin came over and helped us set up lights, figure out where tables and chairs and things are going to go and make sure there's enough room for everything and we're not bumping into one another. We even set up a lighted spiral "tree."
When I came out to help, they had a string of lights tangled around a standing patio umbrella that my cousin was trying to get untangled. Anyone who knows me from my stitch 'n' bitch groups knows that I love detangling yarn. A lot of my fellow stitchers find it odd because they usually hate detangling, but I like getting my fingers all in some great yarn! Plus, it's a little like a puzzle. A puzzle that where I get to get my fingers in wonderful, wonderful yarn!
So when I realized my cousin was having trouble with the string of light, I shoved him aside and untangled it myself. It's not as fun as getting my hands into some yarn, but it didn't take long. My cousin was quite impressed with my ability.
"I should take you the next time I go fishing!" he commented. You could help me untangle my fishing wire!"
"I don't untangle things for free," I told him. "I at least require chocolate in exchange."
By the end of the day, when the sun had set and we could see all the lights were in their full glory, it really looked quite nice. My dad kept saying it was a winter wonderland.
Yes, a winter wonderland. In October.
♥
In preparation, the two weekends, we did a kind of "dry run" set-up. Two weeks ago, I helped my parents rig up a tarp to cover our patio to help shade the area and keep the heat in. Last weekend, a cousin came over and helped us set up lights, figure out where tables and chairs and things are going to go and make sure there's enough room for everything and we're not bumping into one another. We even set up a lighted spiral "tree."
When I came out to help, they had a string of lights tangled around a standing patio umbrella that my cousin was trying to get untangled. Anyone who knows me from my stitch 'n' bitch groups knows that I love detangling yarn. A lot of my fellow stitchers find it odd because they usually hate detangling, but I like getting my fingers all in some great yarn! Plus, it's a little like a puzzle. A puzzle that where I get to get my fingers in wonderful, wonderful yarn!
So when I realized my cousin was having trouble with the string of light, I shoved him aside and untangled it myself. It's not as fun as getting my hands into some yarn, but it didn't take long. My cousin was quite impressed with my ability.
"I should take you the next time I go fishing!" he commented. You could help me untangle my fishing wire!"
"I don't untangle things for free," I told him. "I at least require chocolate in exchange."
By the end of the day, when the sun had set and we could see all the lights were in their full glory, it really looked quite nice. My dad kept saying it was a winter wonderland.
Yes, a winter wonderland. In October.
♥