Warmth and Good Cheer

Our first Christmas Open House I had five years ago was to embrace our new lovely home and to open it up to our friends and family. I had been single and living in a small condo and now I was newly married to my wonderful husband, Rick and living in a wonderfully large condo. My creative mind was alive with holiday decorating ideas. Well, there you have it. That was five years ago and so many people to thank.

I used to enjoy cooking and preparing the food for the party by myself. I didn’t know how fun it could be until my dear friend, Marie Buckley started helping me. I am grateful for her friendship. One of my friends said to me, “It gets better every year.”

“I don’t know how it could but it does.” Not only did I have the brilliant piano player, Tom Reitano entertaining us with his piano tunes in the loft but I also had a wonderfully talented quartet of carolers singing in the front courtyard. Unfortunately, I can’t always carry my creative ideas through as it rained the night of the party and the fireplace pit I borrowed (thanks Mary) wouldn’t stay lit. Maybe next year!

A gracious thank you goes out to my sister, Barb who is always there to help me out. Thanks also to the Dark Horse Tavern for their splendid bartending skills every year also to, Gwen Edkins, Priscilla Carmody, Donna Goyette, my mother- in- law, Jennie, who stuffs 100 dates with pistachios for one of the most popular appetizers of the night. (See recipe on the next page).

And I can’t forget the person who you won’t see in any of the pictures. He’s Jonathan Beach of Beach Photography. Thanks for letting me get creative with you.

My husband keeps asking me why we don’t have a summer party in our beautiful extended room (the deck) which overlooks a wondrous lake. Only CNY weather… who knows it might even snow that day but stay tuned!