Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

‘Tis the season for that annual event, the holiday blank party. For the word ‘blank’ you can substitute office, block, neighborhood, cookie exchange, tree trimming, or a bevy of other words that provide a roadmap of who is coming and what the theme is.

Now I am not particularly a party animal. My idea of a great night out is to have dinner in a lovely restaurant with Earl, other family members, or close friends. Preferably not all at the same time either. When the meal is over, we return to our respective homes, and I’m probably the first one in my jammies.

So just thinking about the onslaught of holiday blank parties fatigues me.

Next week we’re doing the holiday real estate office party, for which I am a member of the decorating committee. This means one night from the week given over to trimming the office tree, hanging lights, and arranging tablecloths since our party is at the office rather than at a restaurant where they do all that for you. (Why we do it that way is another ten-minute meditation.) Then there’s the party itself, from 5 p.m. to whenever, whenever being when the last real estate agent decides to return to his or her own dwelling rather than camp out at the office. I assure you, the last person will not be me.

Then there’s the holiday appreciation party for the Berrien County Sheriff’s Deputies. I don’t have to do any preparation for this event; instead I just show up on Earl’s arm (figuratively speaking) and smile at other deputies and their arm huggers. It’s a down home affair, catered by a local restaurant in the also local FOP Hall. Not exactly the Ritz, but sweet in its own way because any pause in the day’s activity to honor volunteers like Earl who put their lives on the line is always sweet.

At week’s end, there’s the Grand Finale of Holiday Parties. This is held in the home of Earl’s longtime friends, Sue and Don, in Park Ridge, Illinois. We will travel from Michigan and we will dress to attend.

We’ve been going to the Grand Finale as long as I’ve known Earl, and I suspect he attended long before I showed up on the scene. It’s an amazing display of logistics, space, and attendees. In fact, it deserves it’s own ten-minute essay.

For that, tune it on December 8.