Perfection or maybe just Practice

It was perfect.  Perfect table, perfect food, perfect company, perfect flowers, perfect gravy and dressing and pies and Japanese Short Cake and Pumpkin bars.  Perfect wine and sparkling stuff.  It was wonderful.

Several loads of dishes and glassware are done.  The final putting away process happens today and all of it was done in the dishwasher.  (Not the Venice glasses but there are only 4).

I don't think it happened by chance.  It happened with years of practice.  It went sort of like a play. 

Act I
Chop and pre-bake and peel.
Dishes out, serving dishes labeled.
Silver out, polishing done
Jello Surprise completed (orange this year)
Tiny Pumpkins hollowed, flower arranged
Table assembled, all three leaves,
Pick-up 24.84 lb Turkey.  Complain that it is not 25 lbs.

Act II
Figure out timing, 5 hours for turkey, 35 for potatoes, 10 minutes for mashing, 45 minutes for sweet potatoes and yams in yummy brandy sauce, 15 minutes for rolls and 14.72 minutes for gravy
Stuffing completed, sweet potatoes , beans, assembled. Insert Turkey into oven....fade to nap time.

ACT III
15 minutes of chaos.....
Dinner is served.

ACT IV
an hour or so of eating and talking and sitting and enjoying the sheer wonder of it all.

Clear the table enough to have desert. Pumpkin and Pecan Pie....
More talking, dog walking, Jenga, more eating.


ACT V
First load of dishes, Bed

ACT VI

Put it all away.
Mail a package at empty post office.
Buy child her Christmas present (more dishes for next time).