Hospitality, that is. You can go a long time without having dinner guests, but as soon as you host a few meals for extended family and/or friends, you remember the routine: how much food to make, and what needs to be done in advance, and in what order.
And you quickly begin to remember how little effort it takes to have a lot of fun (also a lot like riding a bike.)
Last night, we had a house full of hungry men and women. Two big pans of lasagna disappeared in a flash, as did bread, salad and dessert: a big, yummy birthday cake from Driver's (now Clayborn Cakes) in Lebanon. They have - hands down - the best coconut cake anywhere. But I digress.
It was really fun to have family sitting around the table, sharing stories and giving each other a hard time about politics. (We're not all exactly on the same page, but that's okay.)
And in case that wasn't enough gratification, now I have a reasonably tidy house to enjoy this weekend, and get next week started off right. A good thing since tomorrow's afternoon is booked solid with meetings, sandwiched in between worship services.
Next Friday will be another fun adventure in hospitality, with my fellow co-teachers and their families coming over for dinner. We finished our 6-month study of Acts and last week the class had a celebration. Now it's the teachers' turn to enjoy our accomplishment.
After that, I'll be turning my attention to getting us ready to head off on spring break. Murrells Inlet (and Myrtle Beach - where all the fun is), here we come!
