mid summer feast

December 22. 2014

We are in recovery mode after our big solstice party last night. It was a very hot summer evening so we set up tables in the ruins and ate out feast al fresco. What a feast it was too. Beth made her usual fantastic Xmas Puddings and brandy butter. Alvyn cooked a sweet potato dish and roasted grapes, Graeme brought a fantastic salad and I cooked turkeys, broccoli and potatoes. Everyone brought a dish of some kind so there were mountains of glorious food and wine. Margret’s Pavlova looked so good that photos were taken of it.

This year we missed Josh and Robyn who are in Cairns, and Wayne and Danielle who had a prior engagement. Danielle did send us big jars of home made treats for the tables that made the kids eyes pop. Alvyn brought his sons over at lunchtime and they got the sailing boat out onto the dam. I was very surprised that they could actually sail it round because I had imagined the dam would be too small to sail on. I think the wind was just right so they could move easily and not too fast. The boys remembered how to turn too, which helped.

After the sailing everyone under 40 got into the pool to cool off. With eating outdoors it did not matter how wet anyone got. Arj slunk off at one point and shot a rabbit. He prepared it and I marinated it so that he could cook it on one of the 44-gallon drum cookers. Pip came back from work and joined the frolicking in the pool and it seemed that we were a seething mass of happy relaxed young people all romping like kids.

I think the young kids will have memories from this that will last all their lives. It is so pleasing to see them having fun in good old-fashioned ways and interacting with adults so naturally.  It is a lot of work organizing a feast for 25 people but I am sure it is worth the effort. I am lucky too, in that I have a daughter like Bo, who puts in such a huge effort with me.

Today there is lots of washing to do but Al and family helped move the furniture back at the end of the night. Bo is hosting another Xmas party in her restaurant tonight so we will join her there. I think it is fair to say that the Xmas festivities are now in full swing.