Impromptu Block Parties are the BEST!

Sometimes the best "parties" are the kind that take absolutely no planning at all....the kind that just "happen". In our little corner of our neighborhood we are quite skilled at this....let me explain.

We have great neighbors and every so often when we are all standing outside watching our road warriors...I mean children...play together the subject of dinner comes up. Sometimes we get dinner ideas from each other, share recipes, etc. Other times we find that not ONE of us really has an idea in mind for dinner....and that is where the beginning of our "party" begins....

As we talk we realize that one family has some brats....and another has some pasta salad....and another can round up some chips and salsa....

And then of course there are the gardens.....

Before we know it we have rounded up enough food between all of our homes to feed everyone!

Tonight we enjoyed one of these impromptu cook-outs. It's so nice to spend time together just laughing and sharing. Everyone is welcome and the more the merrier. The children play...the adults enjoy a few cold ones...and everyone makes themselves at home...

Tonight I noticed that it is starting to get dark out earlier....a few citronella candles and the pool light gave us the perfect amount of illumination! It was so fun to watch the kiddies running around in the evening light catching fireflies and curling up on lounge chairs to have bedtime stories read to them.

As I said earlier, we are so lucky to live next to such special friends. As the evening wore down I felt we were just soaking in all we could of the warm summer evening. We know our summer nights are limited and we are enjoying it to the fullest. Ahhhhhhh.......

"Nothing makes you more tolerant of a neighbors noisy party than being there!"

--Franklin P. Jones