Dinner Party

potatoes and bay leaves

We are in our final weeks here.  That means movers and packing very soon.  But, this time it will be quite different.  This move has fairly strict limitations on what we can bring with us. 

plain white dishes....necessary

What we are allowed to bring with us is to be no more than 1/3 of our household goods.  I'm in agony trying to choose between a book and a dinner plate. 

My job for the next three years will be to have dinner.  A lot of dinner.  That means equipment.

pork tenderloins with smoked paprika, olive oil and garlic

We've been practicing a little over the last few months....

appetizer test tray

....but that was just trying out food combinations, techniques, amounts.  It didn't even occur to me I might have to leave large amounts of  kitchenware behind. 

But, I can't leave books behind either (the recipes & menus are in them, after all.....)

Neither can I leave the yarn, the paper, the fabric, the sewing machine.  How can I possibly bring myself to leave so much of who I am back here, in a storage unit?  

In my last move, I remember feeling that I was losing my creative life, because I wouldn't have any TIME this year with language & training schools.  Now, I realize it is,  in fact,  much more drastic than that:   not even the raw materials will all make the trip with me.   

But, I need craft materials & fabric & yarn to have a dinner party!  What if I have to sew napkins?  Or, make clever cards to label the food?  What if I want to knit small glass votive slipcovers?  And how will I ever have favors, hostess gifts, handmade invitations or baby gifts without craft materials?  I don't want to just "buy" those things all the time. 

cornbread croutons, drying near a mojito station

This morning I had a squirmy moment of realizing that I have done "homemade" for so many years, it has started to define who I am.   I'll even admit to having a *tiny* little prejudice against storebought ......things.....that might......go into an envelope, or ......into a party favor.....   I very much want things to be meaningful, and I'm beginning to see that I routinely fall back on handmades to do that. 

Overseas ALWAYS means a longer time lapse for any purchase.  Stores in Europe have fewer parking spots,  shorter hours & larger price tags;  mail takes awhile coming from the States.   But, there is also more pressure with this next tour, because this one really counts.  Forgetting something on this job will have a far greater impact on my ability to breathe entertain than on any other overseas tour we have ever had. 

baby sweater on the needles

Deep down I know it will all be okay in the end, even if it's not my own personal version of "just right"  -- but, I wasn't prepared for the shock of hearing the man from the moving company tell me how very much I will need to reduce my household goods for this packout. 

As of today, there is a new list growing in my booklet.  It's under the "house" tab and has sub-lists of  BARE ESSENTIALS.  

Picnic Table and Outdoor Toys

I started with the easy categories today.......breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth...... breathing.  I'll face the more difficult ones, later :

first list of paper goods & wrapping supplies

I still have a few weeks to brace myself...... 

:-0   gasp !!!

On the bright side, I get full permission to take this item with me:

Ian.   He's been a startlingly efficient worker helping me with the practice menus & parties this year, and is quite critical now of my random technique in the grocery store.  That's another story, though.  He's washing off the deck in this photo here, before bringing the picnic table out. :-)  

This *might* help make up for 2/3 of my stash staying behind.  Maybe.