Saturday 13 February 2010

St. Valentine's Dinner

I've been feeling really ghastly of late - a hacking cough left me barely able to breathe, and the doctor diagnosed viral bronchitis. Apparently there is an epidemic of it going round... strangely, after the swine flu non-event of the century, no-one seems to have mentioned any other epidemics. However, after having been put on a nebuliser in the doctor's surgery, (I was the third patient in a row on Monday morning to have needed the treatment) given a course of steroids (8 tablets a day... you think they'd have made bigger tablets!) and sleeping under the duvet for a week, I have emerged feeling vaguely human.

I still have a chesty cough, but I can at least now string two sentences together without launching into a coughing fit and turning a nasty shade of blue...

Anyway, yesterday evening I felt well enough to consider eating something... but didn't really feel up to cooking. Fortunately, there was a Dinner/Dance event in the parish, organised by one family, and with several sets of teenagers volunteering to serve the meal for their parents and friends. I emailed to see if there were any spare tickets, and I was in luck!

Technically, it was a night for couples to enjoy themselves - having a chance to be husbands and wives rather than mums and dads - so it was a way to support family life. However, as one of the teenagers remarked to me, my "other half" was next door in the church, and He is omnipresent anyway... he just didn't actually need a seat... or a ticket... or dinner...

It was a really good evening: I'd never have believed that 50 people could fit in the small hall...

There was live entertainment provided by one of the very talented teenagers:

One of the diners had just celebrated his 50th birthday, so what looked like a firework was added to a cheesecake for an unusual birthday treat...

After the meal, the waiters and waitresses came out for a curtain call and photo shoot...

I think I am the nearest thing to (semi) official photographer... I usually have either phone camera or digital camera to hand, and it doesn't take much to persuade people to pose "for the blog"!

Note to self: best not to try to take photos after alcohol has been consumed... the photo is blurred because the people all moved... honest!

It was a very enjoyable evening, and hearty congratulations to all those involved!

7 comments:

Jackie Parkes MJ said...

I wish we had some social activities in our parish..hope you are feeling better.

Idle Rambler said...

Sounds like a lovely evening. I love the idea of the teenagers rallying round to act as waiters/waitresses etc.

Great too that you were made to feel so welcome at an event like this which one would expect to be for couples. It says a lot about the good people of Blackfen (and yourself of course, but enough flattery or your head will swell and who knows what will happen, now that we've just got you well again!)

Elizabeth said...

It was a wonderful evening, the food was delicious and the service incredible, bearing in mind that three of the waitresses were my beautiful daughters (blurred). Now the blurring could have a lot to do with the fact that people were constantly on the move, Mac you weren't feeling 100% or there just was too much red wine flowing.

From George said...

If you have access to tissue salts, #4 Ferr.Phos can help you shed this virus and build up your strength. Hello from Canada

Delia said...

Do hope you manage to have a good rest over half term and emerge fully recovered!

Fr. John Mary, ISJ said...

How awful for you with this malady!
Prayers for a full recovery.
Yes, your Beloved was next door...how wonderful someone recognized this!
Saint Valentine is about self-giving love; consecrated celibacy is all about loving the Beloved for the sake of His Church, His Body.
Beautiful!

gemoftheocean said...

Great pics of parish life. Any excuse for a Feb. party!

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