August 15, 2008. Western Head. Endings.

The port-a-potties are gone. The tent has been dismantled and taken away. Our last supper occured tonight. The party is officially over. But what a party it has been. For two weeks, we had dinner together every night in the tent, with an always enlarging group of friends and relatives, then with a constantly decreasing number until tonight, when we were a small group of ten. Tomorrow, they will all be gone and our house restore to order, but we will miss them all.

To organize an event such as this is really quite simple. The most important part is to start with the end in mind. For example, Mitch mentioned at our 45Th that we should consider our Nova Scotia home for the 50Th Celebration, as the children of the four Families would love to come, and could stay with their parents. So Ken and I thought about the idea, and decided that it was a good idea. Many friends and relatives had never been to Nova Scotia, so this might bribe them to come and see the beautiful Nova Scotia. Then three years ago I casually asked several friends and relatives what they thought about the idea, and each one thought that it was a good idea. Ken and I talked about what type of event we wanted and who we wished to invite. Our early decisions were critical for the success. We wanted to invite every one who had been important during our life, and we thought that as folks would be coming for so far away, we needed to have multiple events. The next step, two years ago was to ask our boys and daughters-in-law, and when they were enthusiastic, we set a date, giving two alternate weekends acceptable to all.

So now we are set to get started. Several parts of the event had to be considered. I did not want to have the daughters-in-law or my relatives working away in the kitchen and I did not want to do the same. I wanted our relatives and friends to be able to meet and greet and talk and get to know each other. Both of us have relatives living all over the U.S. and Canada, and even the cousins and their off-spring did not know each other very well. And I did not the event to be pretentious or fancy. Just good solid food, decent wine, and no fuss and muss.

So the most important part of the event is to decide what the event looks like in your mind. When this is decided, then you can fill in the details, which will come next.