Well, dear readers, may I first say just two words: MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! The Do is Done and the Do was Delightfully Delightful and a rousing success. I have to say this was perhaps the best Do we’ve Done and it’s a good thing that I had the instinct to double up on the tuna pasta salad and to make five count them five pounds of pasta, because all of it was eaten. Normally people arrive right at six, but our first person didn’t arrive until six-thirty. That was Shelly Markham, Andrea Marcovicci, her pal Michael Karm, and her wonderful mom, Helen. After that, people began arriving in droves. Normally we’re lucky if we have twenty people, but we had, over the course of the evening, closer to forty. I won’t remember everyone, but in attendance were the helper, Heather Barr, Ilona Simon-Mueller and her ever’lovin’ Steve, Jenna Lea Rosen and her mom Heather and her step-dad Darryl, Sami, Sarah and Karen Staitman, Jack, Linda and Joshua Eli Kranz – Joshua is musical directing the And the World Goes Round album we’re doing, and his folks are the executive producers of it. Kay Cole and her ever-lovin’ Michael Lamont, Barry Pearl, Richard and Elizabeth Sherman, Terri White and her ever-lovin’ Donna Barnett, neighbors Tony Slide and Bob Gitt, our very own Robert Yacko, neighbor Ellen Butterfield and her boyfriend and her daughter, friend Rich Schraier, dear reader Druxy and his lovely wife and son and son’s girlfriend, Karen Morrow, occasional dear readers Amy and Mark, Sharon McNight, Adryan Russ and her ever-lovin’ Dale Cooke, the Havertys – Doug, Dorothy and Hartley, my pal Joanna Erdos, and I think that maybe I got everyone. Wow, that’s closer to forty-five.
It was the first time the party split off other rooms – normally I like to herd everyone into the den, but that wasn’t possible, and so we had some folks in the living room, the library, the kitchen, the dining room, the den, and even outside on the patio. The day had begun with a wonderful bunch of flowers delivered, a gift from dear readers Charles Pogue and his ever-lovin’ Julieanne. Here they are.
Oh, there will be lots of photos. I only went out for about fifteen minutes. I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond and bought a stainless steel pot that was much bigger than what I have, and then I picked up one package. Oh, and I did do a three-mile jog. I began cooking at one, and got everything ready, whilst occasionally watching another spaghetti western in honor of making spaghetti – this one, the wonderful Sabata, starring Lee Van Cleef. I made a lot of sauce – I just had a funny feeling that there would be a lot of people and it’s a good thing I did. I ended up making five pounds of pasta and I’m here to tell you that for the first time in twenty-five years all the pasta was gone by the end of the evening, along with most of the sauce. So, it was also good that I doubled the amount of tuna pasta salad because most of that went, too. At five-thirty I began putting everything out and lighting candles and stuff. Here was the dining room table with candles lit and tuna pasta salad uncovered.
And here are some actual photographs of the people in attendance. First up, left to right, Shelly Markham, Andrea Marcovicci and Michael Karm.
Next up is Tony Slide, Bob Gitt and Andrea’s mom, Helen.
Now we have me, Terri White, Sharon McNight and Donna Barnett.
Here’s Mrs. Druxy and son David.
Here’s the helper, Heather Barr, Adryan Russ, Sarah and Sami Staitman.
Here’s Jenna, Karen Morrow, Sarah and Sami.
And finally, here’s Sami, Jenna, me, Richard Sherman and Kay Cole.
The conversation was way too much fun, everyone ate mounds of food, there were a lot of desserts brought, the Kranz’s brought their amazing latkes, and there was much merriment and mirth and laughter and legs. I am truly blessed to know such people. I had Richard sign my first edition of Mary Poppins, and he put a musical quote from Feed the Birds in it, too. And I gave him a little something, something I won’t talk about yet, but he seemed very pleased with it and I’ll let you know what transpires when it transpires. At the end of the evening, we got Richard to sit at the piano and he sang three songs from Mary Poppins. What a treat it was, and what a treasure he is. He and Elizabeth are the dearest people – always positive and always warm and kind. And guess what I had the foresight to do. I had the foresight to whip out the old iPhone and video him. So, I put them up on You Tube and here’s Richard playing A Spoonful of Sugar with everyone singing along.
Wasn’t that delightfully delightful? And here’s Richard singing Walt Disney’s favorite song, Feed the Birds.
It was quite the night, and people finally left at around ten-thirty, after which I cleaned up the mess, had the tiny bit of tuna pasta salad that was left, and watched a bit more of the spaghetti western, since I had no spaghetti left. In fact, even though I feel like I’m going to explode, I ate way less than I normally do at the Do.
Today, I shall hopefully sleep in, then I’ll get up, open a few presents, I think I’ll do a jog, and then relax until I leave for Cissy Wechter’s Christmas party.
The rest of the week is mine all mine, and it will be nothing but things I wish to do. No work allowed. Next week the only work allowed are the Kritzerland rehearsals and we will of course have our annual New Year’s Rockin’ Eve partay right here at haineshisway.com, the most fun partay anywhere.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, open presents, do a jog, relax, and attend a party. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Christmas – so, what did you get? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland so that Santa can come and leave me something fun and fancy free. So, a very Merry Christmas to all my beloved dear readers, lurkers and whoever else may be perusing these here notes on this festive day.