Literature Threads

Super Simple Fall-Summer-Spring-Winter Gathering

I realize I included EVERY season in my title, but we are in Covid-Season after all, and does anyone really know where we are on the calendar? [Case in point, we had 90+ degree weather followed by snowing ash from our local and not-so-friendly Colorado wildfire, followed by rain and very wet Spring-ish snow the next day…all in the first week of September. But, I digress.]

What we do know is that this season is so very strange. Decisions that used to be made without any extra thought, such as going to the grocery store…or any store, heading to a friend’s house, letting your kids head to a friend’s house and pretty much every social gathering now take evaluation and calculation. Quite frankly, it is just more than my brain can take most days.

However, I, along with several friends are determined to use our powers, persuasions, wiles and creative prowess to cultivate community around us as we walk into autumn and an unknown winter. Yesterday, I hosted several of my daughter’s friends and their moms, who also happen to my friends, in a brisk backyard gathering. Soppy clumps of snow were still slipping from their leaf perches onto our heads, we used pool towels, which were unceremoniously placed into early summer retirement, to sit on and wipe down the tables and chairs. We turned on our backyard fireplace.

Being outside with people is the name of the game and we’re going for it as long as we possibly can. Meet in your front yard, backyard, or at a park. This party can travel.

  • 1-2-3 Carafes ~ I bought two on Amazon expressly for the purpose of outdoor entertaining. I may buy another. I filled one with hot water and one with steamed coconut milk (or use regular milk, of course)
  • Hot Water, Steamed Milk, and/or Apple Cider for aforementioned carafes (I’m a HUGE fan of Electric Kettles (this one is great and inexpensive!). For the milk and apple cider, simmer in pots on the stove and then transfer to carafes.)
  • To-Go Cups
  • Stir Stick or Spoons
  • Napkins & Hand Sanitizer
  • Milk & Dark Chocolate Bars (This was our preferred method of making Hot Chocolate: Each person added a bar to their steamed milk. This is a great option if you have guests who can’t have dairy –> Coconut Milk + Dark Chocolate.)
  • Chai Mix (individually packaged servings are easiest)
  • A selection of teas, whatever you have on hand
  • Whipped Cream as an extra
  • “Lunch Box” pretzels or popcorn (our favorite) or dark chocolate peanut butter cups (Trader Joe’s) or whatever! (Just my thought: individually wrapped extras just seem easier these days…a little extra for the grocery budget, but less stress for you or for your guests as we all have different opinions. And, no one wants to be the grouchy person telling everyone to wash their hands all the time. Offering non-shared-touching snacks makes hospitality feel a bit more like it used to.)

I requested that each girl bring a crafty-something they were working on so they could snack and chat and create together. Simple for them, simple for me. Other options would be taking a walk around the neighborhood, playing Corn Hole, Croquet, Bocce Ball, or another favorite game. We limited the time to a little over an hour. It was good for our souls.

Creating community and connection takes effort, but a little initiative goes a long way. It’s important for us and for the people that we gather around us.

“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live.” 

~George Bernard Shaw

EXTRA THREADS:

Tweet
Pin
Share
0 Shares

Get the BOOK LIST featuring every book we've read in our mother-daughter book club, plus family read-alouds and literary-themed gatherings, grades 3-8.

The Fine Print