Evening of Delight

Did we really appreciate our unlimited human contact before the virus derailed our lives? Meeting up with friends (or relatives), enjoying a bite in a restaurant, saying good-bye with a hug are all actions in a previous lifetime. Hopefully, they will return to our lives.

March 8 was the last time I saw two friends in person. Impending stay-at-home orders were looming. I had belated Christmas gifts to deliver and feared if I didn’t do it on this day, they would never get delivered. The encounters were brief, no hugs allowed, just an elbow bump.

Through the days and months, we kept in contact with a couple of zoom meets, phone calls, and FaceTime. Our usual birthday celebrations were put on hold. Until one of us had enough. She decided we would gather in her backyard and spend an evening together. It was easy to find a date that was free, so it was settled, Friday, October 9, 6:00 p.m.

My friend, Tiffany, is the ultimate hostess. She has a flair for making any occasion special. The fire pit had a small fire going. A nearby table was draped with a tablecloth, multiple lanterns were lit, a pitcher of Autumn Punch waited to fill the copper mugs. Of course there were s’more fixings, but also hand sanitizer and wipes.

A cheese ball (shaped like a pumpkin, of course) and crackers were brought out for a snack before the main event – pizza cooked on the big green egg.

There wasn’t just one pizza or two, no she created FOUR different pizzas! Each one with unique flavors, all extremely tasty!

After pizza, we settled around the fire pit to chat and watch the dancing flames. Decorated pumpkin shaped sugar cookies (made by Tiffany) were the first dessert. It was so relaxing, being with dear friends and visiting. I had forgotten what it was like to be with someone besides my husband and mother. Soon the pokers for the marshmallows were brought out and s’mores were the final touch on the evening.

Photo taken before it was dark, so the flames are not quite dancing, yet.

I hope you have a friend like Tiffany. She brings joy where ever she is. (What makes this evening even more extraordinary is Tiffany is an instructional specialist working full-time in an elementary school that is face-to-face five days a week.) I don’t know how she managed to create this perfect evening, but I am thankful that she did. (FYI – she sent two of the cookies home as favors.)