The Third Annual Barn Party was a thing of beauty. The Secrest Barn, built in 1883, is an architectural marvel in and of itself. It is massive, with plenty of indoor space, which was an excellent asset for this year's party, as it was raining the entire party and not terribly warm either. Not to worry, all our guests fit easily inside, and we were able to keep the barn warm enough to be comfortable for the span of the party. So we were largely able to ignore the inauspicious weather and enjoy ourselves.
There are four key elements of this party that I love, beyond the space itself (which is the whole reason for doing it--to enjoy what such a wonderful place can allow you to put together). The first is the music--the acoustics of the barn are very warm and charming, and Jim put together exceptionally stellar talent to entertain us all. The second is the guests--between the nine hosts, we were able to have representatives from every quadrant of Iowa City and I always meet someone I never knew and am so thankful one of my friends invited and brought me together with. The third and fourth are food and drink, which is a community effort, and always delicious. The whole package is greater than the sum of it's parts, and every year I am sorry that the party has passed and that it will be a whole year before we have another one.
I am looking forward to next year. Can John and Sarah come. I would chip in for some cheese. We could plan ahead and have a long-aged one that we paid for upfront. The Kline-Woodmans throw an excellent party. When you add the Zabners, Jim and Dina it goes off the scale. Wine doesn't count. I can ( and have) do wine in my sleep.
ReplyDelete