Traditions

Traditions are important.

Today is one of those important traditions in my life.

It started when I was a little girl.  Lynn and Peter, friends of my parents, started a tradition of inviting us over for a Valentines Day dinner.  Christmas was always too hectic so this became a lovely evening to look forward to in the dark days of winter.  The table would be all decorated in red and white, beautiful flowers everywhere, bowls of salted cashews on the tables, and there was always a red chocolate Lindt heart at each place setting. Traditions.

Time passed.

Lynn and Peter's three sons and my two sisters and I grew up, went away to school and started our own lives and our own traditions.  Each year, there were fewer of us there.  But I always came home because I loved that dinner.  One year, when all the kids were gone, Lynn decided that she wanted to host a trivia night for Valentines Day.  My parents and several other couples were invited.  I was asked to be the quiz master (mistress?).  So I spent a few weeks preparing questions and spent the evening entertaining and being entertained by the guests. I loved it.  So did they.  A new tradition was born.

Tonight is trivia night.  I've lost count of how many times I've done this.  It must be going on a decade.  One hundred questions per year x ten years = a lot of questions.

They're a tough bunch.  Retired teachers, lawyers and other academics.  They know their stuff and will call me out when my answer to a trivia question is, well, questionable.  I learned to steer clear of religion questions because there are apparently several versions of the Bible.  I avoid sports questions because nobody from that group knows much about it.  I've learned the crowd and they've gotten to know me.  Tonight, a group of people from different worlds are all going to be descending on a beautiful home for a wonderful evening.  Cashews, chocolate hearts, red wine, trivia questions and lots of laughs.

Bring it on!