Appetizers, Drinks, and Conversation...

So.. last night one of my friends wanted to get together to do something... I already had planned to meet up with my former coworkers for a bowling party and agreed that I would call this friend when I left there to see what was on the agenda... well my second cold of the season was getting bad and I was losing my voice after chatting so much with everyone...(It was really nice to see my old coworkers... especially a couple of them.  They gave me big hugs and it felt really nice... they seem to miss me... which was sweet.)  So when I called my friend didn't have a specific plan... and I decided I wanted to come home and relax... and we decided we would try to do something tonight instead... she is in a place where she still enjoys going out to the bars but also wants to do some lower key things... so after looking into a couple of options I decided I wanted to see people, but wanted to do something lower key....so decided to invite people over to play board games... something a few of my friends and I have talked about doing... and because it was last minute... only three other people were able to make it.  I LOVE having people over... though you wouldn't know it based on the last four years.. I think in my old apartment I had people over less than 8 times... not including Suellen who would often come over.  Before that apartment... I loved having gatherings, loved cooking for people... and so tonight I decided to make some of my favorite things... spinach and artichoke dip and  quesedillas.. and put out some veggies and hummus... sorry I didn't think to take pics!  Things looked great!  I used some of my new serving dishes and they did not go unnoticed!
One of the women who came is someone I do not know well... she is a parent of a girl who was one of the kids I coached from grade six through grade twelve...who is now in her early twenties... This woman joined me on a kayak adventure once... and we had good conversation... she has some interesting life circumstances...both of her children are now in college, out of state.. and her husband started a job this fall in Virginia... Virginia!!??  Because of his job, he was limited to what he could find here... so... they made the decision that she would stay here, in Maine until their house sells... and he would be in Virginia.. and they would work to see each other often... I am not sure I could do that... but.. she was a person who came to mind tonight, knowing that she is often alone, kind of single in some ways... and she was thrilled to get invited!  (There's a lesson there... no reason I don't invite more people to do more things!)  She had never met the other two women who were here (Suellen and Alyssa).  We all sat and ate and talked... and didn't end up playing board games... we talked about a lot of things... and it was great.
I hope to get together with this woman more.. and perhaps meet some of the people she knows, to expand my social circle.  We'll see...
It felt so good to have people here...at my HOME... life is good...