Jim's Party

We held Jim's party at home on Sunday afternoon. There were about 20 of us, which is a nice number for our place. It didn't rain but wasn't particularly warm so not many people went out into the courtyard.

We ate party pies and roast potatoes; cheese and biscuits; vegan delicacies from Smith and Deli, which Freyja and Simon picked up on their way up from Melbourne. We had jelly slices and logs in ponds (it would have been frogs but I couldn't find any small chocolate frogs; we had twirl bites instead.) We had tiny cakes and macarons, biscuits and chocolates. We drank alcoholic and non-alcoholic wines and beer. We drank tea and coffee. We had a good time.

Jim's daughter and son in law came down from Sydney. My siblings all came, apart from the one who is holidaying in Africa who was granted an exemption. Friends came. And many of those who couldn't come because of distance or previous engagements or other reasons nevertheless had roast potatoes and raised a glass in their own locations and time zones. 

A rolling remembrance 😊

We made an afternoon of it. People came from around 12:30 or so and the last people left around 5:30.

Jim would have very much enjoyed it. He did like a good party - apart from an ongoing anxiety that he had, whenever I invited more than half a dozen people or so to come round, that it would pour with rain and there wouldn't be enough room in the house for everyone. This was a ridiculous worry in Tupton where we had a sizeable lounge room, a separate dining room, a kitchen and an enclosed back porch. It isn't particularly likely to be a problem in Mount Helen. Not quite as much space as in Tupton but enough, if you move all the furniture to the side of the rooms. I will grant him that we never have enough chairs for everyone to sit down, but not everyone wants to sit down at the same time unless you are having a sit down meal. And I wouldn't invite 20 people to a sit down meal!

It may not have been your traditional funeral followed by tea and cake but it was a good party. And a good send off. 

I did miss having a working dishwasher on Monday morning though!