ahhhhhhh

Ahhhhhhhhhh..........sigh of contentment.

It's been a great evening. I had a birthday party tonight. Nothing too formal - just about 20ish folks crammed into our living room from all different social circles, eating, drinking wine, making new friends (and reconnecting with old ones!)

It is a wonderful thing to be surrounded by people you love, and who love you back. The sounds of laughter and clinking glasses mixed with smiles and hugs. Even the folks who were tired after a long day (week!) of work felt at home enough to find a hidden corner and read for a bit. This is what is important to me . . . being open, welcoming, and warm; cultivating relationships - both old and new (though this gets harder as I get busier); creating an atmosphere of "home"; sharing joy and struggles with those in my tribes. It was a great night. I haven't had a party chez moi in a long time, either, so it was nice to do that again.

One note - amazingly people all pretty much left at midnight (a "decent hour"). Perhaps it is a sign that yes, I really am getting older! Well, that, and Harry Potter was released at midnight tonight. I know of at least three folks headed to apres-party at various bookstores around the bay. (I finally caved myself and ordered one on amazon.com today!)

Oh..and for those of you interested, my friend Mark's Wizardrock band - Marked as His Equal - has just released a new CD. Check out his myspace page here.