Our next $1000 dinner is coming up in a couple of weeks

[Hortensis]

3. Wonderful! I'm not leaping out of my easy chair, but that is inspiring

and sounds delicious.

Except for what seems to be becoming one big family holiday, whichever is our turn each year, we're doing rather rare sit-downs for one or two couples. But other than the holiday, entertaining more people is very casual, fairly impromptu appetizers/munchies and drinks on the porch a couple times a summer, an annual fish fry on friends' houseboat (a joint venture, we bring the lion's share of the food for 30 or so, including the fish and cooking, and leave all the mess).

But you make me realize that, except for the fish fry, which is a group venture, we don't give friends something special to look forward to each year. And that is a very nice gift. Have a blast.