My parents liked to entertain, and during my childhood years they had a large active group of friends, and often went out in the evenings or had people over for dinner, for games of bridge, for Christmas caroling parties and New Year's Eve celebrations and the like. My dad enjoyed devising very ingenious puzzle games so potential bridge partners could figure out who would pair up with whom - I remember one scheme based on the face of a clock and Roman numerals which took awhile for the guests to decipher.

Each of my grandmothers was a source of "nice things" to use when entertaining. My father's mother was from a long line of women who believed in the proper china and silver for a home. {Not that her family ever used the proper things much. We found several treasure troves of really elegant items after the last member of that generation died. The "good silver" and "good china" had been stored away and kept pristine. Kind of sad, when you think about it.}

My mother's mother had worked in Chicago during the depression years as a housekeeper and maid for several Chicago families who managed to maintain an economic foothold. She often received "hand me down" type gifts from her employers - partial sets of Haviland china, for example, and other mismatched pieces of various types. Many of these items ended up in my parents' home.

So putting on the dog for company was a way of life for both my mother and father. And I don't think they were out of line with their contemporaries in our little Iowa town. The late 1940's and early 1950's were pre television years, and sources of entertainment were limited. The local liberal arts college mounted occasional concerts and plays; churches could be counted on for music at Christmas; local high school sports, of course; but that was about it. So people entertained each other, dressed up for each other, cooked for each other, and relied on each other for friendship and variety.

In addition to their circle of friends, my parents were the center of a large extended family group, all of whom lived within about five blocks of our house. The family included me and my four siblings, three grandparents, at least one of my grandmother's sisters (and other great aunts came and went), and one other couple unrelated by blood but who were as close to us as the other family members. This made for an impressive roster of birthdays to celebrate. Throw in Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and various summer picnic opportunities and you can easily believe that we all got together often. And getting together always meant having a party and "putting on the dog"

So as I think it over, I think I was hard wired to be on the alert for a chance to do the same.

When one of my brothers and one of my sisters planned a visit to the Denver area, each for a different reason, and each bringing spouses along, I swung into action. Mr Woodstock has not been feeling well, so knowing I would be flying solo on this, I contemplated menus; thought about shopping plans; scheduled preparing items in advance; and so on. My sister who would be one of the guests volunteered to come early on party day and help me get everything together. If I do say so myself, it went off swimmingly and I enjoyed myself hugely. I think my guests did as well.

Are you interested in the menu? Even if you're not - here it is:

Straticella (a clear broth soup with eggs and parmesan beaten in just before serving)

Roast leg of lamb

Baked butternut squash with eggs and cheese

Green salad with lime vinegarette

Assorted whole grain rolls

Pinot Noir from Oregon's Willamette valley

Rhubarb pie

Coffee

I had a good time; got to use my own silver and the Haviland china I mentioned earlier; entertained people who are dear to me; and in the back of my mind felt both my parents smiling their approval.