Change-Up

One thing I have learned is that no matter how much planning and list making I do before an event, there is always some surprise that prevents everything from going perfectly as planned.  This week, it was Mom’s fall and broken arm.  The last few days have been completely lost, my total focus on Mom and Dad and their care.  We took Mom in to get her arm set yesterday, and instead of setting it, they admitted her.  That took half the day!  Then I spent the rest of the day and evening doing Dad’s transcription (which Mom would normally do), drive him around, make him dinner, walk the dogs…on and on the usual stuff.

While waiting in the ER, I made a phone call to Dominic in LA.  Could he please ship the pasta to me as I won’t have time to drive up to get it?  Sure.  This was the first of a string of things that got changed or scratched from the list.  I also didn’t have time to go to LA to get the flowers Mom wanted (the bucket of roses again) and tomorrow instead I will pick up a few more flowers and greens at the Corona del Mar market.

The house was scheduled for a quick once-over by me yesterday; that didn’t happen of course, so it will be done tomorrow.  The kitchen table at least is clean~

I was up until 1am last night baking, and home again today at 4pm to do more desserts; even after “cleaning up” the kitchen looks like a bomb went off; this will have to be cleaned up~

Today was to be the install day for the tables and chairs; that didn’t happen, so Laura, Raquel and I will do it in about an hour.  At half past seven, the loggia is nicely lit; these lanterns are on dimmers, and this is full beam~

I rose at 6am to go to LA to pick up the fresh burrata; and call the powdercoat guys, who were to bring my outside bar, two tables and three gates back, today.  This morning they said they were finishing the job and could deliver today.  But at 430 I suddenly remembered and called…no answer.  This dinner was the only reason I had these pieces out for repair and powdercoat.  I can’t believe they aren’t going to be here….unless Genaro comes with his truck tomorrow. I spent the evening looking and looking for him and my gates.  Oh my….I will still put the votives and candles out here on the entry to the loggia.  But I am so disappointed that the white gates are not here…

In the end, after several consulting doctors, Mom is not having surgery on her arm, it is casted and the weight of the arm will pull the humerus back into position, or close to it.  While I know I am fussing a little about the party details, in the end I don’t really care if the gates are back or not, I care that Mom & Dad are here and cared for.  I thank God that Mom didn’t break a hip or hit her head and do some real damage; that’s what matters to me this week and every week.  It seems at the last minute a number of details have changed, a few guest adding and dropping as expected, but we will still be forty tomorrow and I will adapt.  Instead of the nice bar, which I will really miss, I think I will do something creative with the mass of crates sitting in the driveway.  Tomorrow, at last, is party day!! (And still so much to do!)