The Merry Din

The kitchen was bursting at the seams with people. Soon every chair on the first floor was gathered around the kitchen table where bread was cut and dips prepared. A salmon and dill spread for fresh Italian rustico bread was a surprise delight. So was Jen and Chris' warm and homemade artichoke dip. As scotch, wine and beer was distributed to each guest the individual smaller conversations combined into a delightful cacophony of noise that swelled to fill the house. I talked as I compiled our dinner on an oversize tray, which was loaded with various forms of marinated chicken, steaks that had been dry rubbed with salt, pepper and garlic powder, garlic and cheese sausages, salmon burgers (with onion and thyme) and salmon fillets with Cajun spices that were ready for the grill. Soon the smell of grilled food filled the backyard and sent taste buds to watering.

A few guests kept me company grill side as I drank my scotch and kept an eye on cooking times. Kathy likes her steak done medium while John and Kristen like their burgers medium well. Bridget's chicken strips would take the least amount of time while my thick, marinated chicken breast would take the most. The salmon fell somewhere in-between these cook times. Asparagus with cracked black pepper, ground salt and olive oil had been put on the top rack of the grill. By the sizzle of the olive oil I knew it was done. I soon handed off platters of food to Kathy and Bridget and a short time later I joined the feast myself. A salad had been cobbled together from spinach leaves, mushrooms and blue cheese crumbles and a bit of vidalia onion dressing. Asparagus was passed around with the potato salad and drinks were refilled. People spread the party throughout the first floor and our living room was full of diners. Laughter could be heard from each room as well as snippets of compliments for each tasty morsel. Each of our guests had provided a piece of the feast and all could take pride in the meal. Dinner gave way to after-dinner drinks and dessert, which consisted of a birthday cake for myself, Kristin (October 1st), Kathy (September 25th) and Jen (October 10th). Gifts and cards were exchanged. Laughter filled the room as I opened my present from Kathy to find a View-Finder from 1968 complete with an episode of "Star Trek" on three reels. "The Omega Glory" never looked so 3-D.

We bid farewell to Jen and Chris with a promise to see them on Friday night for Jen's birthday get-together. The rest of us moved the party up to the third floor where we sat in chairs, on the sofa, in the window seat and on the floor and gathered to discuss our book club selection "In Cold Blood", which resulted in our most engaging book discussion yet. An hour and a half later and we concluded book club with our latest selection, "In The Meantime" to be read for next month. More mingling and conversation took place down in the kitchen until, finally, people with long commutes decided to hit the road. The party was officially over - seven hours after it began at the Roslindale Day Parade.

At one point, while we were eating dinner, my friend Kathy looked around the room, smiled and said to me "I love these people."

I couldn't agree more.