Flourishing Friendships

We had a dinner party last night so that Bill C and I could introduce our spouses to Deborah and Neal, the people we hung out with in Chautauqua. Deborah came over early so we could get in just a little music before dinner. We played the best we ever have. It is obvious that being rested helps. (Last Thursday we played after a day of work and it showed how tired from work and heat we were.) We tried several of the selections from Claude Bolling’s Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano, that also include a string bass and drums. It is incredibly much fun to play this music. I am so unused to the freedom of jazz, which begs for you to just run away with the melody.

I am really learning how to entertain simply. Deborah brought a salad and Kris brought a dessert. I made chicken divan ahead of time and threw out some bought appetizers. Minimal cooking. Minimal cleanup.

We ate and drank for what seemed like hours as friendships wove themselves together. We all have children of similar ages, so children was a big topic. It’s also interesting to hear about the reality of being a doctor, a story you don’t tend to get when you go in to visit your internist. We talked about the book club, since Deborah and Neal are joining our 8-year-old couples book club. And then it was time for everyone to go home. Deborah packed up her huge string bass and hauled it out to their car. The Caseys walked home.

I am feeling happy today to have good friends like these, but a little tired from way more wine than I am used to drinking. It would have been nice to have another day in the weekend!