First Party

I had told our contractor and designer for months that we really needed the house done for Christmas.  Our first party, I warned them, was December 4, 2014.  When I left the house on the morning of December 4, there were canvas splash rugs all over the living room and the rock fireplace was only half finished.  When I got home at 5:30, the fireplace was done, all the way to the ceiling, the splash rugs were gone, and the living room, family room, and kitchen gleamed.  "It's exquisite!" exclaimed one of the guests.  The partyers were the women lawyers of Durham Jones & Pinegar, who assemble once a year for a Christmas dinner.