I seem to really enjoy starting off with an alliteration for the titles of my Sunday posts – partially, I think it’s the challenge of coming up with the alliteration in the first place.  Then, I think it’s just fun to have the opportunity to write an alliteration.  And I like to say, or write, the word “alliteration”.

And that brings me to my next alliteration, this was Mr. Muse’s and my fifth Fall Fry Fest.

The planning of this event was haphazard at best, and other than setting the date, not much more thought went into the whole thing.  That might have been a good thing, as with my job it left me little time to sweat the small stuff; I knew only that I really wanted to just be able to enjoy the party and not spend the day saving animals from children, washing dishes and not talking to my guests because I was too busy orchestrating in the kitchen and mixing batters.

We didn’t invite everyone with whom we are friends, we stuck to the “family”; those friends we have known for going on two decades in some cases, who as much as they may drive us nutty like brothers and sisters can, we would do anything we could for them because they are Family by choice.  Two of those friends were celebrating their first anniversary with us as well and I couldn’t let that fact go unnoticed, so I baked a large (and very rich and very delicious) Chocolate Pumpkin Cake from Midwest Living.  Cause that’s how I roll.

Ajax!

Not only that, but the newest member of the extended family, Ajax the Jack Russell Terrier, was also present for the weekend festivities.  At twelve weeks, he was a bundle of energy, kisses, “alligator teeth” and adorableness as well as a lovely house guest.  And really… who doesn’t love puppies?!

All this cutting back to save my sanity, unfortunately, left me with feelings of anxiety as I pondered how many people who take it as a personal insult that they didn’t receive an invitation?  In the past, I’d had people mention their dislike that they hadn’t been invited and one person even went so far as to ask, “Who pissed in your Cheerios?!  You didn’t invite us!  Why not?”  Would I hear those same words again?  Should I have invited them to save me the discomfort of having to explain that I just wanted to be able to enjoy my own party because too many people stressed me out to the point where at the end of the night I wanted to curl up in the fetal position and cry?  No.

I’m entitled to invite only who I really wanted so I won’t be curled up in the fetal position at the end of the night, crying because there were so many people to please I couldn’t enjoy the day (and night).  So, it was our Family by Choice.  The people who, for the most part, know their way around my house as if it were their own.  The people that I can walk around in my dirty jeans from felling trees (really… we took down three trees yesterday morning), crack a beer and kick back and relax with and they accept me because we’re family.

Man meat… staring me in the face.

These are also the people with whome I can play games like “Cards Against Humanity” and make off-color quips like, “…every time I look up I have man meat staring me in the face…” and everyone laughs and someone adds in the fact that we’re seated around a glass-top table so all the guys should do a zipper check.  These people are my friends, my family (by choice), and I love them all.

No Cheerios pissed in.  No pressure.  Just people with whom I can be myself and not worry about slapping on makeup.  Not worry about a dribble of batter that splattered onto my shirt.  No concern myself that they’re going to freak out over the fact that they might step in chicken shit in the grass.  The people who have all said in one form or another that they love they can all “be themselves” at our house because we’re “family”.

I enjoyed yesterday’s Fall Fry Fest.  I’m looking forward to the Spring version for Valborgsmässoafton at the end of April and you know what – I will have as good a time then as now.  However, for now – I think I need a piece of that Chocolate Pumpkin Cake and a nap.

Do you enjoy throwing parties at your home?

Do you hold to “The More the Merrier” or do you like to keep it small and intimate?