Oh.My.Golly.

Getting the four of us to Joe and Mary's took as much skill as giving cats a bath. Caitlan from Santa Cruz showed up at our door after I'd taken Nicholas to the train to get there early to play. Staying around home was driving him crazy. He walked from the train station to Joe and Mary's spread "Three Meadows" (he was having and adventure).

We arrived around midnight after organizing ourselves semi-successfully.

The feasting started in the morning, with pancakes. Alisa and her crew arrived with five pies. Cousins and parents and friends began arriving. The doorbell rang and rang; "I don't answer it," Mary told me. "I'm training people to find their own way into the house. That way I don't have to drop whatever I'm doing and run to the door."

We solved the kiddie table problem by just throwing food into the video game room. The rest of us sat in the crisp autumn air and gave thanks and toasted and got to know people from various intersections of our lives.


After dinner one of the youths treated us to a fire show! The persimmon tree makes a good backdrop.

At Mary's, there is often the ceremonial wearing of the gowns, and this Holiday was no different.

Perhaps the only thing sexier than a man doing the dishes is that man wearing an evening gown while doing the dishes? Okay, so that part of the wearing of the gowns was different. I really enjoyed playing Twister® in a slinky black dress.


With the men in the kitchen, the women had to entertain themselves on the living room rope swing.

I am so toasty from days and days of non-stop fun and meeting new people who are fascinating and reconnecting with old friends and not nearly enough exercise and eating constantly that my brain is mush, and although many exciting and wonderful things transpired I honestly cannot relate them all.

You had to be there.

Footnote: Driving home, the Muse of Mania began to release me, and I looked forward to quiet and falling over in my own bed. But I walked in the door of home to a mini-dinner party of homemade chicken noodle soup! Everyone was getting home about the same time, and we were all so glad to see each other that we ended up partying in the backyard!

My tigger-spring finally broke when Betsy put on the rainbow caterpillar tube and danced to "Mr. Fancypants." At that point I literally laughed myself silly, and unable to stay awake any longer went to sleep.