Party Coming Up!

We have been in our new home, the park trailer, for just over two months. It’s time to throw a party! It’s an open house, but we’re not wide open. We have invited a number of the people we are close to here, and those that have been helpful to us in getting the trailer.

There’s a week to go, and we are busy getting ready. Because we’ll need refrigerator and freezer space, Suzy is working hard to use the foods we have on hand instead of buying new. Right now she is trying a new recipe on a big batch of country style ribs we’ve had for several weeks. They start in a 400 degree oven to brown the meat, then they go into the slow cooker for several hours.

There is a carton of ice cream in the freezer that won’t be replaced once it’s empty (sob!), but we have other desserts to work through.

Then there is food for the party. That’s pretty well under control already: neighbor Carol across the way has volunteered to make a couple of salads and a big batch of brownies, as well as keeping watch on the food table during the party so we’ll be free to schmooze.

Subway will provide a huge sub sandwich that we can cut into snack-sized servings, and Wal-Mart’s deli has a nice cheese platter and a veggie tray that we’ll order. We’ll get a supply of both green and ripe olives, some pickles. We already have chips and dips, nuts and other snacks. That should keep our guests satisfied!

Oh, yeah! We bought a couple cases of champagne, and every guest will be offered a refillable glass. Thank goodness no one will have far to drive. We’ll take the champagne up to the clubhouse kitchen for refrigeration until just before the party, then place it in an iced cooler (in our shower) to be handy.

Yesterday we found some inexpensive but very colorful plastic service dishes that will brighten up the food table, which itself will be covered with a “celebrate” themed plastic table cover.

From Pre- Open House Party

The house and yard are getting ready also. Projects that needed to be done anyway have been speeded up with the party in mind.

The new planting area with Indian Hawthorne and Red Bird of Paradise, and its adjacent walkway are up to snuff.

From Pre- Open House Party

We even built this box…

From Pre- Open House Party

… which became a planter for seasonal plants. Right now it has three variegated mock orange plants and four geraniums. The mock oranges will probably end up as permanent in this box, which is open to the earth beneath it.

From Pre- Open House Party

Inside, we have replaced a quite usable (but not very attractive) floor lamp with a new one more to our liking. It is harder than heck to find a nice floor lamp with two adjustable lights!

From Pre- Open House Party

And on the walls, we replaced three lamps that didn’t fit our idea with three new ones with stained glass panels.

From Pre- Open House Party

From Pre- Open House Party

Another project moving ahead at warp speed is uploading our music to the iPod. We are maybe 80% done with that, and we already have 2417 songs on the little unit. We’ll have it playing quietly during the party.

We wish you could all be here to celebrate our new home with us! We’ll make room somehow! This is a fun part of … Our Life on Wheels.