Barbecues and Teas

Guys’ events are different from girls’ events.

Last night the church social committee, consisting of my friend Rita and me, with help from Marita the speaker's wife, hosted a father-son barbecue for all the guys at church and whatever dads and sons they wanted to invite.

Earlier, in May, I opted out of planning the mother-daughter tea because of everything else I had going on, so Rita and a few volunteers planned it and I attended with great enjoyment.

The decorations at the guys’ supper consisted of blue-checked tablecloths, red napkins, and centerpieces of mini straw bales borrowed from Verna Miller and plastic farm animals from Rita’s children’s toy box. No one seemed to notice the decorations except a bunch of little boys who played with the animals afterward.

At the girls’ tea, the arriving ladies oohed and aahed over the lace-doily place cards, the fresh flowers, the tulip-background menus, and the lovely old-fashioned teapots and cups.

The guys had basic stick-to-the-ribs food—grilled hamburgers, baked beans, potato salad, and such.

The ladies had flaky scones with bits of dried cranberries, lemon fluff, tea, and other artsy food.

The men did not dress up. The women did.

Despite the differences, a good time was had by all, at both events. Behold, God said after he made two separate genders, it was very good.

* * *
You know, putting on a supper for 60 people is a lot of work. You don’t think about what goes on behind the scenes at these functions until you’ve done it yourself a few times.

Our only real glitch was the bananas. We wanted to have banana splits for dessert so when we were at Costco on Monday we bought about 6 big bunches of green bananas, figuring they’d ripen by Friday. Well. Friday afternoon we discovered they were still as green and hard as pears in June. So I went to Select Market in Halsey for more, and behold, all their bananas were green as well.

Safeway saved the day with 50 nicely-ripened bananas.

And then there was the little episode I thought my friend Arlene might like to know about. The guys ate supper but not dessert and then while they were out playing softball, Rita and I set up a table in the middle of the fellowship hall with all the banana split ingredients. I came zipping out of the kitchen at one point and there was Arlene’s little Josh (the same one who shaved off half his eyebrow last week) standing by the table happily eating our precious maraschino cherries.

"Um, Sweetie," I said. "Those are for putting on our ice cream later, so you really shouldn’t be eating them now." So he promptly pulled the cherry out of his mouth and put it back in the bowl with the others.

Arlene has raised such an obedient child. I’m proud of her.

P.S. If you want to see a picture of the ladies' tea, visit my neighbor Claire's blog and scroll down to "More Pictures."

Quote of the Day:
Emily: Mom, I think I’m related to an ostrich.
Me: Why?
Emily: Because an ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain.