what a delightful day…

yesterday we moved the table on the deck to the middle of the space and this morning I put on the tablecloth and runner that I picked up on Saturday…

then my housemate put the umbrella back in its hole and we opened it up…

I folded silverware into napkins and brought out pretty, but unmatched, plates to put around… glasses and mugs followed… everything was upside down so they wouldn’t get dirty…

found bowls, covers, and spoons for the two salads – ham and German potato, as well as the coleslaw…

crackers went onto a wooden tray and the salt and pepper shaker made it onto the table, alongside some lily of the valley flowers from under the deck…

chair covers and cushions went out and umbrellas went up…

friends arrived with other food offerings… there were fresh veggies and hummus, devilled eggs, fresh fruit, whipped cream, chocolate, and custard…

there were flowers for the birthday woman…

we gathered at the table and enjoyed everyone’s delicious offerings… of course there was our usual coffee and tea to go with the fruit, custard and whipped cream, topped with a piece of chocolate and a pistachio, lol…

the bubble machine came out and was on until bubbles started to land on plates… the weather was beautiful as the sun shone with a slight breeze every now and then… conversations were free flowing and stories made us laugh…

we took a group photo, as we always do when we gather for special times;-)…

as everyone began to leave the clouds filled the sky and the temperature went down, but no rain fell…

I had a relaxing time as I cleaned up, filled the dishwasher, put away the cushions, and got the table back into its original location…

read my book as the last of the bubbles flew around the deck…