During lockdown we'd had a Eurovision contest, which lasted over 12 weeks, with four countries competing against each other twice a week...when the numbers rose to twenty, we had a celebration to wrap up the competition.We have lots of parties, and 80 people is the norm and we have that down to an art. However, this was different. 20 people but a lot more work and strangely more expensive. Gone are the platters and pizza delivered, just in case.
Gone is the shared hand towels.
I emailed the 'house keeping' a few days before the party, there was sanitiser all over the place, and all food was in covered individual containers...compostable of course!
No hugs, but still lots of fun...it was good to feel that things were sort of edging back to normal, and feeling a bit more social...
"Good parties create a temporary youthfulness" Mason Cooley once said. I certainly felt invigorated preparing for it, and quite joyous the next day. It had been the longest we'd gone without a party, as the last one we'd had was the early Xmas party in mid November (to beat the rush).
Yet another thing I hadn't realised I missed until I did it again...
Have you started claiming back your old 'normal' in new ways, post COVID?
Linking with
Good to see you enjoyed the party. We still have a cap of max 10 people together and continue physical distancing.#MLSTL
ReplyDeleteI had quite a ripper of a party when we could only have 5 over too - big night to Hot Dub Time Machine with the gal pals!
DeleteSeems like this will be our new normal for a while. We are still in isolation in doctors orders and haven’t socialised at all due to my partners medical issue. #MLSTL
ReplyDeleteThat's hard, but sensible. I look at Victoria and think it will only take one or two cases to be missed and then it's all back on...
DeleteYour post reminded me of a comedy on Netflix we watched on the weekend - Eurovision The Story of Fire Saga. One of the funniest films we've seen in a long time. My SIL is having a big bash for her 50th in a few weeks so it'll be interesting to see how she manages the social distancing! I don't think she's taking any precautions with the food as you did so I might have to have a gentle word in her ear!
ReplyDeleteWith 20, and I moved the furniture out, so people were spaced but not at 1.5 metres by the end of the night. It's tricky...
DeleteI liked that movie - made me laugh!
DeleteLydia, I was following your photos of the party on Insta and was blown away with the organisation and planning that must have gone into it! So glad you had fun despite the 'housekeeping' changes required. Such a fun start to feel normal again and isn't it funny what we didn't realise we missed #mlstl
ReplyDeleteI probably went over board but I'm determined not to be splashed in the newspapers as a cluster causer...
DeleteLydia that's amazing! I'm not much of a party person and would find all that you arranged absolutely exhausting - but I love how it energized you and made you so happy afterwards. And what's not to love about Eurovision - I missed it this year and I'm going to watch Volcano Man on Netflix soon to help make up for it!
ReplyDelete#MLSTL
It will - there's a lot of past Eurovision cameos...
DeleteThat looks amazing. I was thinking of you & the pics on Insta the other day when I saw a new movie on Netflix that I have to watch - Eurovision - the sory of Fire Saga.
ReplyDeleteIceland was next on my aurora chasing list and now it's even higher....
DeleteI cannot get over your friends...so many! Gotta say though, you did this very well. Loved seeing the pics.
ReplyDeleteDenyse #mlstl
Hi Lydia, what a lovely way to start getting back to normal. I must check out your Instagram as mentioned by Deb and Jo. They both commented on your photos so it must have been a good party. Thanks for sharing at #MLSTL and here's to starting to find a new normal again.x
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a lovely evening, Lydia. So glad you had a good time. We've been slowly getting out more. My sister is planning her annual family gathering in remembrance of our younger brother. I confess I'm a little nervous about social distancing. I know we'll be outside, but we're quite a large group. Still I long to see them all in person after so long.
ReplyDeleteI think assess as you go. I still take my mask everywhere and I tell people I might bail if I feel uncomfortable (maybe don't say that for a memorial but even for the things I organise I let them know). I think it's something we have to get used to. Some restaurants have really spaced everyone, some haven't and you often don't know until you're there.
DeleteSo pleased that you managed to have a great party in the midst of all this. Unfortunately I've been unable to get back to any kind of normal, as I'm in a foreign country where I don't know anyone except my husband. :-( Hoping to change this situation in the near future and make some new friends and have a party with them! :-)
ReplyDeleteThat's a hard place to be going through all this. I hope you've mastered the Zoom catch ups with your far flung friends - we've had some big group ones with people in the US and Europe - so sometimes late night on a Saturday (and their mornings) or our 'brunch' for their nights...
DeleteWe have been round to my parents' and the kids even had a sleepover this weekend. It is tricky to be so close but still try to stay 1 metre away but it is very normal. Otherwise we have kept everything else locked down. Thanks for linking up with #globalblogging
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