Sunday Afternoon

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It's 730pm, and my last guest just departed. And my heart is full, spilling onto this keyboard. 

Recent Sundays, I've begun inviting a new friend who recently moved to Luxembourg over for lunch. Lunch isn't fancy- typically a hastily thrown together pasta, and random accouterments from the fridge. But today I decided to be a bit more formal, and actually thought about food. I also wanted to get some Christmas decorations set-up so I invited a few more friends. I made a roasted carrot vegan soup, as well as a bean and pork soup. One friend brought bread, another a delicious cake, and a third a backpack full of clementines. We enjoyed the lunch together, then split into various groups. Two sat chatting at the dinner table, two were unpacking my Christmas decor, and I turned on Michael Bublé for my one friend who always does the dishes and cleans the kitchen. He also made sure to sweep the kitchen and scrubbed away at a few stubborn pans. The noise of the house brought so much joy to my heart, as I listened while packing away food. 

The girls all ended up setting up the tree and unpacking decor, while the two guys continued on the dishes and then figured out the dishwasher. The tree decorated, we utilized one of the tall guys to hang a bit of garland over the window as well. 

Slowly, people settled into the couch, onto the bear, and around the coffee table, filled with tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. The carrot cake and assorted cookies were finished. The conversation leapt from topic to topic, making its way in a circle around and around the participants. On the TV, a Netflix fireplace roared and crackled. Eggnog was tried, discussed, and finished, as was the dragon fruit guava juice. 

Eventually the sweet snacks were eaten, and then salty were devoured. The Pringles were finished, almost an entire kilo of tomatoes polished off, and most of a jar of cashews and some crackers. I had a crust to experiment with, and threw a few toppings onto it for a brief flatbread-esque snack. My pre-lit USA Christmas tree lights seemed to have breathed their last, so my little posse helped put a new string on, hoping that this one also didn't fizzle out. 

The people trickled out, to catch the public transit that doesn't run so often on a Sunday. Two remained a bit longer. One to help me unload and then reload the dishwasher, and the other to finish clearing the other areas of the house. 

The house is quiet again. The Netflix screen blank, the dishwasher not full enough to run again, and the silence broken only by the clacking of my keyboard. I'm so grateful for this community I have here. Friends from all over the world, enjoying a weekend afternoon together. My house is lit up with Christmas cheer, and the command strip hooks are holding a festive glittery wreath on the door. I'm tired, that's for sure, but I'm so grateful for this life I get to live. 

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