I worked for weeks to spruce up the house and the garden to host a Saturday lunchtime party to celebrate Deb’s 70th birthday, which also marked her retirement announcement. We invited all the boating regulars and several of Deb’s friends from the YMCA and her neighborhood. I hung the Market Canopy from India for a festive touch. Dahlias graced the wooden flower bins front and back. I polished up the front garden and planted kale and marigolds in the raised beds on the side. Potted some bright calendula. Put a red serape on a folding table.
I was pleased that everyone brought something to share. Lots of sweets from Deb’s girlfriends. One brought a fabulous salad with homemade vinaigrette that was gobbled up in a jiffy. Brent brought a beautiful veggie platter.
The big thrill was the chocolate cake that Wayne made, and the chicken Parmesan that Justin (background) made. I cooked up some Trader Joe’s Lasagna that was popular.
Lori, Brent and Liam join Deb’s Friends
What I learned: No one sat in the living room, or at the kitchen table, or at the dining room table (which was unexpectedly covered with gift food), or on the teak settee in the back yard. The men sat at the little table covered with the serape. The plastic tablecloth clashed visually with the red Market Canopy. Justin’s dish required a knife and fork which was tricky on paper plates with plastic cutlery — chicken cut into bite-sized squares would have been easier. I should have used real plates because I had 11 guests. I used real forks for the cake.
No one asked for coffee. No one drank my beverages, they all brought their own, as requested. No one ate my sliced porcini or Mt. Tam cheese or sopresatta. It went 12 noon to 3pm.
Bob’s wife, Eva, and their daughter, Susie, had just left for Sicily when Bob hosted a potluck get-together at his home. Because asparagus was in season, I wanted something to serve cold that would be easy to eat with a fork. No hand-twirling asparagus spears in hollandaise for people standing up holding plates! I combined two recipes from the 
To really look like asparagus on a crowded buffet table, it needs to be bright emerald and half “spear tops.” I should take it out of the boiling water as soon as it turns emerald. It will cook a few seconds more before cooling, and marinating it overnight will make it taste “cooked.” Marinating the pasta will also soften it, so cook it al dente. Chilled dishes should be a little crunchy. I substituted seasoned (salt and sugar) rice vinegar for white vinegar, and whole-seed Dijon for smooth which did not improve it. The honey is important for the body of the dressing so I am showing the original recipe because that’s probably the best.
What went well: the low flower arrangement that we could see over. Instead of spring colors, I might have picked up the blue of the tablecloth and the burnt orange of the plates. 
