It all began so innocently with the idea of a Movie Night over at Architect's house. He has a wall-sized, pull-down screen at one end of his main room and a digital projector on the opposite wall. And a boatload of speakers. Watching flicks there is fun.
We all enjoy making meals, so we decided to make it a shared dinner as well. Then, since the 5 people in attendance had all played characters at this past summer's wizarding event we thought it might be fun to make it a costumed affair! And so it went.
Prior to the day of the wizarding event, a monthly newspaper went out six times to the 19 "incoming First Year Students." So it seemed apt that there be a newspaper published that very evening about our soiree. As guests arrived they found their copies of the broadsheet publication on the dining table.
Front and back of the newspaper
(printed on parchment cardstock)
We are all a bit Hobbitish in our love of food; our menu was varied and most flavorful. We had and did much enjoy
- in honor of the Irish holiday, a meaty casserole of beef, cabbage, pastrami, onions, and tasty herbs served with a dilled buttermilk sauce;
- a plate of fresh sugar peas, sliced apples, several cheeses, and sweet raspberries;
- rosemary bread and herbed biscuits served with rhubarb butter;
- homemade applesauce (a blend of 5 different apples seasoned with cloves, cinnamon, and ginger);
- a tossed salad of mixed greens with red and orange grape tomatoes;
- a bottle of Yellow Tail (Australian) Merlot; and
- for dessert, a freshly-made pumpkin pie with pecans and a whole wheat crust topped with whipped cream.
During the break between the two movies*, we noshed on a Wisconsin delicacy: frozen custard from Michael's Frozen Custard, a restaurant as dear to Madisonians as Gilles Frozen Custard is to Milwaukeeans!
As there was no moon that night and the sky was beautiful and clear, we also took the opportunity to go out and view Jupiter and Venus in conjunction.
This image, however, was the view from France this week.
Photograph by Laurent Laveder
As it was ostensibly spring break for our magical faculty (and one visiting scholar), our dress was of a more festive and casual sort.
Professor W. (right in all 3 pics above) commented to our photographer that
"The purpose of smiling to show all of one's teeth."
"The purpose of smiling to show all of one's teeth."
Our Headmaster and his current "research project."
An unexpected surprise was the delivery by a Pony Express rider for the Western Division of the Owl Post: letters and packages!
(What the letters said and what these delightful packages contained shall be reported upon in future posts!)
The evening began early and ran late, with the last guests leaving at 1 a.m. Stories, creative ideas, and much mirth were shared. My thanks to my wizardly colleagues for permission to use their photo-likenesses in today's blog.
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* The movies we watched:
