What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow. ~ Martin Luther

Monday, July 30, 2012

A Summer Gathering












Christmases were always celebrated here when Gram was living, but we had only just moved in before last Christmas- and what rooms weren't being fixed up were barely unpacked, so for the first year, this house didn't host Christmas.  Aunt Margie, Matt's not-quite-70 year old aunt, said it was the first Christmas she had ever spent outside of these four walls.

So Matt and I determined to have a Summer Gathering, where people could roam out of doors and I could fill bellies with garden things.  A sort of "Christmas in July".  Saturday was the day.  Not everyone could make it, but a good many did, despite the busyness of summer.  Days before I had prepared and cleaned and planned--everything had to be "just so" because this would be the first time many of the people coming would see the house since Gram was living in it.

 I painted a sign.  Matt fixed the bathroom faucet after months of not working.  Corynn gathered basketfuls of Lace.  Andrew brought in armloads of vegetables.  Every square inch of the house was organized-even closets and bookshelves~ just days before.  Matt took down the half-down-already ceiling in the mudroom and replaced it.  I made batches and batches of lemonade and Peppermint Tea.  Matt mowed the lawn.  I hollowed out cucumbers and marinated chicken and Frank Sinatra serenaded me as I sliced squash.  I admired the most beautiful salad ever in which all ingredients save two were from my own garden and lamented that I was1-2 weeks shy of using my own fresh tomatoes.

I took no pictures during the party.  I was too busy flitting from person to person, refilling drinks and serving chocolate cake...but I enjoyed watching people stroll through my garden and Mattie, sweating over the grills.  I enjoyed sitting under the hanging lights of the tree and visiting with family across the picnic tables and watching Nathan swinging sleepily in one of the hammocks.

And now, two days later and the party over, I am washing dotted glass and floating robin's egg blue on the wind and gathering up canning jars of flowers and serving leftovers with every meal and wondering how will I ever use the extra 40+ hotdogs buns I bought?? 

And also wondering~ how in just two days there are smudges on the bathroom mirror and dollhouse clothes under the girls' bed and man clothes on the floor of our bedroom?

Sometimes it is good to have a party every now and then, if just to have a clean house for two seconds. 

15 comments:

Full of Grace said...

Looks like a lovely party :)

Unknown said...

perfection sweet rebecca. lovely sweet perfection!

debbie said...

Love the porch

Regina said...

A lovely day...

A Lovely Vintage Life said...

So beautiful! The fresh garden produce looks wonderful & flowers in jars are a most beautiful sight. Love your pictures & creativity! Have a lovely day~ Ivy Jane

P.S. Please come visit me if you get a chanse. I love visitors!

Amanda said...

...it's all calling my name!
from the clothes swaying to the summer breeze...to the front porch{love your colors}
to the jars...
to the flowers. {I always thought queen annes lace had chiggers so I never pick it, but deep inside I want to risk it just to sit it on my table} tell me you didn't get chiggers and I will pick some tomorrow to put in a jar of water.

;-)

the family shot is great!

a perfect, perfect saturday!!!

Tracy said...

I love the family photo!

lydia.purple said...

that's the only way to stick to a cleaning schedule for me... to invite people over - often! ;-)

Bonnie said...

What totally makes that last picture: You in your apron. Love. It. Love. love. love. And is it truly vintage, because it looks exactly like what I want.
I'm glad you got a family barn shot, even without The Middle Barn. And your house looks beautiful, and yes that salad...
Spread butter on the buns, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and pop in the oven to broil, serve for breakfast. Your children will love you even more that they already do. Need to get off to clean my house, and snap blanch and freeze the near bushel of beans I picked yesterday...

Amanda- we've picked Queen Annes for years and never got chiggers (though you might want to give the flowers a good shake because I've brought in my fair share of spiders.)

Rebecca said...

A Lovely Vintage Life- I DID visit you and found I couldn't comment on your blog to say hello-so I emailed you at the "contact me" address. Hope you got it!

Amanda~ we have never got chiggers from them and I have been picking them for many years. I think you'd be safe! :-)

Bonnie~ great idea for the buns--I'll try ANYTHING at this point. And I really have to get a hold of that old picture and put it up here for you to see. I bet you'd love it. The one (sad) truth? The old picture has tons of children and the new one only has MINE. Sad, sad, sad.

Bonnie said...

Boo-hoo, that is sad!
I forgot to say before: your new clothesline rocks! Permanent or temporary?

Terri said...

Rebecca, you truly have the gift of hospitality but you also do it with style! Love everything, but the family photo is beautiful. Love it!

Rebecca said...

Bonnie~ permanent.



Thanks everyone for your nice comments. They really make my day!

Unknown said...

Oh how lovely, Rebecca! :) Your gathering looks just so nice...

Rosemary said...

What a lovely gathering you had! I am sure the family were so happy to see so much beauty and love in Grandmom's house.
The house is surely singing a happy song again.
Love the family photo, and you in your apron.