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Friday, December 6, 2013

Monday Musings.

The onset of the Holiday Season, always plunges me into a deep pool of nostalgia.  It doesn't take much to send me rocketing backwards in time.  I was thinking, recently, of Christmas parties.  Back many lifetimes ago, I was part of a creative team in an advertising agency in Cleveland.  I was a pretty fair artist, but lacked the killer instinct that was necessary to 'make it'.  It had seemed like the right move in the progression of art school to advertising, but they were (and probably still are) two different things.  Nevertheless, being part of a creative group was a lot of fun!  I vaguely (ahem) remember the holiday season being a long string of interconnected parties.  That was back in the day when I could get away with wearing hot pants.  .  .  never mind.  (TMI???)

When I was married, we had a gang that we socialized with (the group of the Cold Bird notoriety) and every holiday was a reason to throw a party.  Then I was divorced and that was the end of that.  Of that gang.  I did have a good friend, Rip, who was a Host Extraordinaire.  He was a wonderful guy, well-loved, many-friended.  He passed away a few years ago and, with his passing, so ended my ties to Cleveland and an end to an era.  After that, I bounced around over a continent or two and eventually landed in the City.  There was a seismic change in my social life after that - I do think that, the larger the city the more difficult it is to find one's tribe.  Which does seem perverse.  I mean, there you are, surrounded by millions of people, but alone all the same. 

Then I was here.  Of course, I am sure that my age has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with the fact that now my idea of a hot party is the local library's annual soiree - usually consisting of  a handful of people shoveling down free food and grousing about the limited booze.  And then there is the 'invitation only' party way up at the top of the hollow (oxymoron?) where the local grand dame holds court, surrounded by the chosen few and her mob of rescue dogs.  I love it.

My very favorite party?  A fire in the fireplace, a nice bottle of wine and a party of six.  Me, Bernice, Scrappy, Cookie, OnceSlim, and Kramer.  Suits me to a tee.

8 comments:

Florida Farm Girl said...

Yeah, parties just seem to taper off as we get older, don't they? And, like you, I don't miss most of them. But me thinks you do need to add one "other" to that little gathering, at least occasionally, right?? :wink:

Susan said...

FFG - Ah, if only. Looks as though another holiday season will pass with only four-footed companionship. It could be worse!

small farm girl said...

If only you lived closer...... We would party hardy!!!! Or at least until it was time to do evening chores. :-)

Susan said...

SFG - So true! The chores wait for no party, do they?

Michelle said...

I've never been much of a party-goer; home, sweet home for me.

Susan said...

Michelle - The older I get, the more I appreciate home and spending time in it.

LindaCO said...

Hot pants! Awesome.

I get your sentiment about finding one's tribe. I use the same term for/to myself. I just got invited somewhere early evening Christmas eve, and it's much appreciated, as the kid is with his dad.

The Maine Gray Zone said...

Been there, done that...........I must say my idea of a party seems to consist of fewer people as time goes on.....wish you were closer, we could imbibe with a little wine by the stove.