Last Saturday I was doing my usual thing of watching the cooking shows on PBS, and I caught a new episode of "Katie Brown's Workshop". It's an OK show, but I think most of her projects are a little too involved and "twee," especially if the goal is to simplify your life. Her latest project was making some decorative trays and other accessories for when she has garden parties in her enormous back yard. I nearly burst into tears when I saw it because it was so beautiful. I generally like my little condo in the city, but I sorely miss being able to entertain outdoors. My parents' house had a very big yard, and we often had cook-outs, potlucks, and picnics there in the summer. Sitting in my cramped place with the air conditioning on seems like a very poor substitute for having 75 people milling around or sitting on lawn chairs eating BBQ ribs with their fingers and just having a great time. But since I'll never be able to afford a place in the city with a yard, I suppose I should just suck it up and get over it. Besides, as one of my heroes Sally Quinn wrote in her book "The Party," the best parties she ever had were in her little studio apartment, when people were practically sitting on top of each other and were thus forced to interact with one another. She says it keeps the energy levels high and keeps the conversations from lagging. I guess that'll have to be good enough for me.
Comments