The Perfect Party

Once upon a time, my flat mate and I decided to give the perfect party. We sat down and made a note of all the necessary ingredients for such. They were:

1. An ice-breaker. An art student was roped into making "wanted" posters for all those planning to attend. It worked a treat. People circled the room searching for their own, giggling and laughing. The above is mine and the boyfriend of the moment.

2. A theme. Everybody owned jeans so we decided on "wild west" little thinking people would come as dancing girls (flat mate) and full Native American dress.

3. An event or focus point. We made this an election for town marshal. Those standing for the office were required to make speeches from on top a wooden box. The winner was a very stuffy student whose platform consisted of "A cat house on ever corner."

4. A bar. We rigged one up with a nude, rose in teeth, above it. The menu was: rot gut and sarsparilla.

5. Good food. We made a vat of chili con carne, assorted salads and garlic bread.

Was it a perfect party? Absolutely. Everybody still has their posters, my flat mate made off with the drawing of the nude with a rose in her teeth. The art student became quite famous later on.

Here in Tuscany we do not go in for such nonsense. We have pizza parties for the entire neighbourhood or more formal festas, but always in the summer when it can all be done out of doors.

The wind is howling today. I did a photograph of pretty flowers and one of a junk heap in the back yard but somehow, evidence of a misspent youth seemed more cheerful.