TIME FOR TEA

This is a great house and I adore it, but it's not the ideal party house. For one thing, there's very little parking, and what we do have is rather precarious to back out of, especially in the dark. But that's ok with me. Now I have a legitimate excuse for not throwing any big parties. I did it for years, but it was always to please my hubby or because I felt I was supposed to, and never because I loved it.

What I do love is intimate, simple, seasonal gatherings, and my very favorite time of year for doing this is fall. The weather is divine, the salvias are in

full bloom, the hillside is covered in lush grasses, the pink muhly grass in my beds is fixin' tuh do its thang, and my favorite tree by the stone terrace is getting ready to catch on fire!

This time last year I celebrated by having the muses over for a gnocchi-making party, but even four people in my wee kitchen is a pretty snug fit. Sooo, I've been sitting here this morning, trying to think of some simple way to entertain a few friends - something that won't stress me out or cause me to do what John refers to as "switching into Maximum-Martha-Mode." Know what I'm thinkin'? I'm thinkin' tea! Not high tea for the queen. Just something simple for me and a few friends, at least once a season, if not more often, locations to vary according to the time of year: fall on the stone terace; inside by the fireplace in winter; out on the balcony porch in spring...yeah, that's the ticket! Best of all, it gives me the excuse to bake something yummy, which I won't ever do for just John and myself. Who knows? If things continue to go well with my new Fly Lady cleaning routines, I may even get to the point where I can do it spontaneously, on the spur of the moment!