Well, did you evah? Never. What a swell party this is!

This is one of my favourite songs from the musical High Society, and I was prompted to write this because of Leah’s blog on Friday – “Did you Ever?” and last Tuesday’s blog, “To go or not to go…” by Catherine.

In this song, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra have escaped from the party for a little peace and quiet – or at least Bing has. Frank Sinatra is carrying on the party all by himself with the help of copious quantities of champagne.

How do you feel about parties? I’m guessing many of us view them with horror. There must be lots of people who love them, however, because they carry on being a thing.

My elder daughter loves a party. “Why would you ever not go to a party?” she once asked me. But then, she is really good at approaching a group and saying, “Hello, I’m India, how d’you do?” That’s if she’s with older people. I think she’s a lot less formal with her own generation. I have seen her work a room and it’s most impressive.

My younger daughter and I are very different. We like a party where we know lots of the people there. Even then, we find our social energy is very quickly used up and we retreat, like Bing, to a quiet corner where there are just one or two people, or where, blessedly, we can be alone. I have been known to retreat under a table with a good book.

Normally, like the Jona Lewie song, you will always find me in the kitchen at parties. For one thing, there is rarely music played in the kitchen. For another, any other people in the kitchen are also there for peace and quiet and you can have a decent conversation.

I was at a party on Saturday and ended up talking to just one person, the sister of someone I already knew. We talked in depth, and at the end of the evening each felt that we had made a new friend.

Ironically, I love giving parties. Perhaps it’s because I’m in control. If I’m in control of the guest list, then I already know everyone. I can make sure there is something for me to eat and drink. I always have something to do, so don’t need to make polite and meaningless conversation with people I don’t know.

Most of all, I love writing and giving murder mystery dinner parties. I love the creativity of forming the puzzle for my guests to solve, the cooking for them and then the evening where there is no small talk, just people acting in character and trying to work out who dunnit.

How do you feel about parties? When you can’t escape them, how do you cope with them? Or perhaps like my daughter, you love them. Do tell what makes a swell party for you.

Mary

A Moodscope member