Sunday, February 17, 2008

Be Neighborly

The flyer found in the husbands and my mailbox regarding the "Progressive Dinner" to five different homes within in our very own street on February 16th, 2008? We accepted. We greeted. We drank. We discovered. We ate. We walked. We enjoyed.

We have fantastic, fun neighbors! We need to do this more often; just not in 5" stilettos.


17 comments:

Jay said...

Progressive dinners are fun. Except the last one I went to. The woman who was hosting the dessert part of the evening just put out store bought cookies. Very disappointing.

Also, I went with my sister and brother in law on to a progressive dinner for the Miata club once. 36 Miata owners meet in one spot and all drive in a single file line to someone's house for horderves then everyone drives to the next house for dinner and on and on. It was always fun to see people standing in their yard watching all those miatas pass them by. They always looked so bemused.

Jen said...

Jay, that's so not a cool desert! Ours, last night, was of chocolate fountains with just about anything and everything you could dip into chocolate. She even had homemade marshmellows and divinity as well as fruit, pretzels and vanilla cake! It was hard to decide.

We walked down the street with a 10+ gallon glass jar of sangria. Not necessarily Miata standard, but it was alcohol. . . .

Beth said...

MMMMMM.... sounds like a yummy time. I never heard of a progressive dinner before, so maybe when Bill and I move we can get one going. Right now, we live on the one nice street in the ghetto of our area. So basically we're ghetto fabulous. Even still, the rest of the ghetto fabulous people are not coming to my house.

R.E.H. said...

Progressive Dinner, eh? Never heard of it, but sure sounds like a lot of fun.

You must live in a very friendly neighborhood... the way it should always be.

ETK said...

That sounds os fun! Well, meeting other neighbors does - 5" stilettos and all. What does it mean? Did you have to bring something?

Allison Horner said...

Yeah, I have never heard of a progressive dinner before, either. But then I live in BFE.

5" stilettos? You so funny. So, that made you how tall?????

I can't wait to do dinners like that. Hopefully our next neighborhood will be more like that.

Ian said...

I never heard of it either...I was reading your post thinking, "Hmm, an invite from the 'progressive' neighbours", very kinky...

Jen said...

My 7 readers: a progressive dinner is based on going to different houses throughout the night to enjoy different food and/or drink. It was great for meeting those neighbors of which we had not yet met. I highly suggest doing this, even if you already know your neighbors. Organize and leave some flyers along your street.

Most of these types of dinners provide the following where you normally don't have to bring your own/something, but I'm sure all are different in nature (this one was no children, but you don't have to do it that way):

-> 1st house: drinks and/or signature drink (this one was wine and sangrias) as well as an appetizer.

-> 2nd house: salads.

-> 3rd house: entree.

-> 4th house: dessert.

All home owners involve volunteer in hosting some part of the progressive dinner.

We were to bring our own "spirits" if we wanted, but each house had wine and beer waiting. Of course, 6 of us decided to bring the 10+ gallon glass jug of sangria, which in hindsight, could have been disasterous, especially crossing our busy street.

It started at 5:30 PM and was to last until 10 PM, but when the husband and I left at 12:30 AM there were still a few going strong. We are old. We went home, but happy and all smiles.

I woke up with a headache of proportionate magnitude. That was fun.

Yes, I wore 5" stilettos (which, to answer Alli's question, made me more amazonian). Yes, in hindsight once again, that was not the best option seeing as you walk from house to house. I never realized our street was as long as it was. . . add some alcohol. Pffft. I can handle anything.

O.K. on second thought, my feet, well, not so much.

Anonymous said...

Wow sounds awesome! I didn't realize there were so many people who had never heard of a progressive dinner . . . I see Jay has heard of it, so maybe it's a midwestern thing . . . ?

I haven't been to one since I was in high school youth group though - that was a good way to do our Christmas celebrations - progressive dinners and then at the last house the dirty santa/white elephant gift exchange.

Good times.

Em

Rock Chef said...

Sounds like a great idea - except for the shoes, of course! Hope the feet have recovered.

g-man said...

e did that a few months ago, we had a "Back to college" theme which was extremely fun. I photoshopped one house with parts from the movie "Animal House" it was pretty funny. I drank a lot and paid for it the next day, but it was a lot of fu meeting the neighbors from the other streets in our "hood".

Can't imagine 5" heels and walking felt good, but I bet you were HOT! which, when dealing with the neighbors IS what is important. :)

Alex&Fi said...

I have heard of it before....it was called something different and ....um....I can't remember what! I've never been to one and not knowing exactly what is entailed have never tried to organise one. Revel in your Amazonian-ness hon I lo-oooo-ove wearing heels....just haven't mastered the pain free option! My husband grades my shoes by how far I can walk in them.....at first annoying but actually highly practical since I can now suss out appropriate footwear before a night out! The high ones only come out when there is seating, maybe some standing, minimal dancing and a guaranteed taxi home.
Fi...xxx

tt said...

Fun, fun, fun...... We used to do that back in the day with our church youth group. I can't wait for YOU to be one of the 'fixee's'...you'll make them swoon with your cookin'!
Maybe the stilettos weren't such a good idea in hinesight BUT..I bet you looked H.O.T.!!

Tink said...

Our neighbors like to try and steal our handy-man away from us. There's just NO WAY I'd be eating with them. Unless they were eating crow. ;)

Simply Curious said...

Come on...the pain from 5" stilettos is so worth it when you know you looked fabulous in them all evening.

Jen said...

Em: it WAS a good time! I'd never done one before or participated in & wasn't quite sure what to expect. But all good things came of it!

Rock Chef: the feet have finally recovered. I am not used to wearing these types of shoes for walking any sort of distance, whether it be near or far. And it all seemed far by the end of the night - walking & standing everywhere, every place. . .

G-Man: I hope the future holds more of these! It would be fun to do a themed one as well! I'm thinking toga, red wig or . . . . ? How FUN would THAT be? Apparently, wearing 5" stilettos proved to be stoopidly important to only moi! ha!

Fi: I tried to see if I could find any different names, but I was unsuccessful at this. I DO love wearing heels & I don't so much mind the Amazonianess, but I didn't lurve me feets by da end of da night! ***sigh***

I'll need to get this "shoe grading" system from you before I attempt anything else from now on.

Tink: you have evil neighbors! Bad, bad neighbors even. Naughty.

SCG: I'm not sure how fabulous I was walking around like I was crippled by the end of the night? But I love those shoes; I really, really do! I'll be wearing them again, but only not while hiking Mt. Everest.

Alex&Fi said...

Potluck Supper! I remembered!
Fi...xxx