Seems as though we'll be eating leftovers for quite a while. B and I and a group of friends got together for a pot luck dinner and there were lots of leftovers. Some people have a dislike for leftover food, but we're not those people. Personally, I have an aversion to throwing perfectly good food away--which is why I have a freezer.

The potluck was one of those without a theme. Not a special occasion--we just felt like getting together for dinner and each of us brought our favorite dish, a speciality or a last-minute inspiration.

It turned out that each of us, intending to bring a dish for 6 people, in reality brought entrees and salads and desserts for an army. Goodness, it was an embarrassment of riches.

We took home portions of two kinds of curries, lamb and eggplant, lasagna, a dal dish (I don't know what it's called), gyros and a vegetarian meatloaf. Quite good. Really.

When we do a potluck, we Unitarian Universalists, we do it right. We love to eat; we love to talk. And talk. And talk, about everything from hurricanes to fracking to the new slavery to ... well, you name it. We can go from one topic to another inbetween breaths.

It's a good feeling to spend time with people of like minds. Not that we agree on tactics or even outcomes, but that we agree on basic principles--respect for the inherent worth and dignity of every person; tolerance for others' viewpoints; acknowledgement of the interdependent web of life.

Still, though, we have some pretty lively discussions, coming at problems from different angles, varying life experiences. We are not bound to one set of beliefs, but we are urged to examine the world and ourselves and each find our own path (one of our principles calls for a responsible search for truth and meaning).

And have yummy dinners as an added bonus.