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Turning a good party into a great one; relaxing and tons of fun
Last week a friend called
me to ask a question
every host or hostess has
pondered at one time or
another: How do you turn a
good party into a great one?
My first response was one
word: Music.
Music, a little louder than
you might think, sets the
stage for your party or gath
ering.
And even if you are hav
ing a formal event, the music
should have an -upbeat sound
to it—especially at the begin
ning of the party.
If the music is too slow or
soft, the party will have a
sedate feel to it.
The holidays are the per
fect time to crank up those
holiday tunes we all know
and love and find ourselves
humming throughout the
day—even an off key rendi
tion of Frosty the Snowman
sounds good.
If your music inventory is
The Divas learn a lesson: a shoulder to cry on is just a start
My brother, the only
scion of my father's
name, lay dying.
The blood poisoning that
had consumed his body, had
thrust him into a coma and
set off myriad problems so
numerous that the doctors
had placed him on life sup
port and offered little
encouragement.
I would like to say that he
was fighting valiantly to
push himself back from
death's door but with a spirit
as savagely shredded as his
wounded body,
I don't know that he had
the strength or the inclina
tion.
Death, I suspect, looked
peaceful to him, offering a
reprieve from his torment.
So, we prayed and were
grateful that preachers,
would-be saints, extended
family, friends and the con
gregations of many churches
offered up pleas on his
behalf.
There were even a few,
who had not spoken to the
Lord intimately in many
years, who sank to their
knees and begged woefully
on his behalf.
Those were probably the
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home
matters! jk' |
by Adlen
W. r 5 ’ Wl-
I ■ rla
Robinson JL
for the *lO jFJ
Forsyth
County Hgy/. JuQ
News#
less than ample, just turn on
the radio or better yet, con
sider borrowing some CD's
from friends.
Besides music, another
all-important thing is light
ing.
Everybody looks better in
candlelight.
Use lamps instead of
overhead lighting, and con
sider using lower wattage
Dixie
by 1
Ronda Rich B
for the r
Forsyth
County **
News \ **
most powerful entreaties of
all.
The first night, as death's
whisper grew louder in our
ears, my sister and I slept on
the floor on the critical care
waiting room.
I huddled close to her,
desperately seeking warmth
for both my body and my
battered soul.
Excruciatingly, the hours
passed and then gradually
the days as slowly, he began
to inch his way back to the
land of the living.
And though the doctors
repeatedly stressed the
length and extent of his
impending recovery, they
could only marvel and say
bulbs to give rooms a soft
look.
Other Tips for Throwing
a Fabulous Party:
• Keep the flow of the
party moving. Unless you are
having a sit down dinner,
place food in several areas of
the house.
Have a separate table or
spot for beverages.
• As your guests arrive,
take their coats or point out
where they can put them—a
bedroom or office works fine.
• The host or hostess
should offer a beverage
first—then suggest the guests
help themselves after that.
If your party is fairly
large, hire some help for bar
tending, or pre-appoint a
friend.
• Make sure you have
more ice than you thought
you would need. Enough
said.
• Keep hot food hot and
that, again, science and spiri
tuality had blended together
into a formidable tag team.
My brother, a devotee of
wrestling long before it was
cool, would love that analo
gy-
in the midst of the trauma
and drama, the divas learned
a surprising lesson.
We had long been proud
of our strong, nurturing sis
terhood, the kind that offers
a shoulder to cry on and a
cream of mushroom soup
laced casserole when the bat
tles of life grow intense.
We believed that men
missed out on the emotional
bonding that we celebrate
but we discovered that they
bond in a different way.
It wasn't surprising to see
the stream of women who
filed through to drip tears on
the handsome cheek of my
unmarried brother but what
we were unprepared to see
was the number of men who
stood by his bedside and
cried.
And, in the days to come,
they were able to tell us
things we needed to know.
Things that they knew
about our own flesh and
blood that we didn't.
cold food cold.
• The general rule of
thumb for a cocktail party
without dinner to follow is
about five or six different
party foods, including a few
hearty selections (think ten
derloin, ham, etc.) For a party
that will take the place of
dinner—which is what most
holiday parties do, serve six
to eight different foods.
Figure on each guest eating
two to three pieces per hour.
This estimate is not including
something like chips or veg
etables with a dip.
• If you are having a sit
down dinner, use place cards.
Before the party, take a
few minutes to think about
your guests.
Place a talkative guest
next to someone who is shy.
Try not to seat couples next
to each other mix it up.
• As the evening winds
down, brew some coffee (reg
ular and decaf).
66
... W/e had long been proud of our •
strong, nurturing sisterhood, the
kind that offers a shoulder to cry on
and a cream of mushroom soup
laced casserole when the battles of
life grow intense.
99
"He don't eat chicken,"
one volunteered as I tried to
feed him chicken pot pie but
he stubbornly shut his mouth
and shook his head. A stroke
had, initially, left him unable
to speak.
"He only eats his bacon
crisp," another warned.
"Don't put cream in his
coffee! He drinks it black."
"For his steak, he mixes
ketchup and mayonnaise and
makes a sauce."
E—
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FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS Sunday, December 14,2003
If you are having a sit
down dinner, turn the coffee
pot on as you go in to eat din
ner.
• If your guests do not all
know each other, make sure
you encourage mingling.
Many times guests who
know each other stick togeth
er and need to be encouraged
to meet and mingle with oth
ers.
• If it is in your budget,
offer your guests a small
party favor as they leave.
A Christmas ornament,
small potted poinsettia, or a
bundle of homemade goodies
would be particularly festive.
• If you are having a sit
down dinner, make sure your
centerpiece is not so big or
overwhelming that guests
cannot see over it while con
versing with other guests.
• Before the party, try to
schedule enough time for you
to leisurely get ready to
shower, dress, and hopefully
This collection of loving,
colorful characters knew
other things of importance,
too.
Which bank he used,
where his spare keys were,
which color he liked, which
sister was his favorite, where
personal files were stored
and which race car driver he
liked most.
A person's life is best
viewed through the eyes of
PAGE 7B
relax for a few mjnutes.
Turn on some soothing
music and envision an
evening of fun.
When your guests arrive,
you will be mentally
refreshed and ready for the
party.
• Your friends are coming
to visit with YOU not to cri
tique your cooking or your
home.
If you relax and enjoy
your own party, everybody
will have more fun.
When the hosts are having
fun, the party is always a suc
cess.
Adlen Robinson's "Home
Matters" column is published
in every Sunday's Lifestyles
section of the newspaper. You
can also read her food col
umn in Friday's newspaper.
She welcomes reader tips,
comments and suggestions!
Please email her at
a4kidz@bellsouth.net or
write to her at the newspaper.
others and the eye opening
view I got of my brother
introduced me to someone
new.
It also made me realize
how much I don't know
about my friends.
So, I called my best
friend of 20 years, the one
who has been my rock, the
one who knows many secrets
of my heart, and asked a
couple of important ques
tions.
Now, I know where her
spare keys are hidden and
that her favorite color is red.
We divas, from now on,
will be paying more atten
tion to the little things.
We may even need to
send a thank you-note to the
guys for the lesson.
Ronda Rich is the author
of What Southern Women
Know (That Every Woman
Should) and My Life In The
Pits.