It's the Simple Things

Sunday night, we had friends over to watch the series finale of "The L Word". It has been a tradition, for the past three seasons (usually January to March), to gather around our television on Sunday nights to watch the lesbian drama unfold in LA. Same cast of characters in our house and on the big screen, with guest appearances in both spots. It's amazing on some Sundays that we all fit in our living room!
Most of the time there is food involved--everything from simple soups to pizza to Indian cuisine--we have some very talented cooks in our midst, and this Sunday was no exception. Our friends Tracy and Tarah provided all the ingredients to make sushi (except for the rice--Karen had to travel through rain and tornado warnings to find the right stuff), other friends pitched in desserts, and we had a feast. It was great fun to watch the combination of flavors that our friends put on their rice/seaweed base, and even more fun to sample it. Almost everyone tried the cream cheese "worms" that Karen had crafted--she said it was just like playing with Playdoh. Tracy whipped up some spicy tuna and crabmeat, and I sliced and diced some wicked cucumber and avocado.
Since this was the very last episode of the very last season, we played a couple of games (L Word trivia, and "Guess who you are?") and Karen and I handed out prizes. My favorite prize was a bumper sticker that said, "I love poetry, walks along the beach, and poking dead things with a stick." The recipient loved it too, which makes the two of us equally sick and twisted. We all offered our theories about who killed Jenny, and then settled back to watch the episode. Most agreed that the "grand finale" wasn't all that grand, but I really wonder if any finale can withstand the pressure to make it the final word on a series that most have grown to love. "Six Feet Under" did a fine job of tying up loose ends in its' last episode, but most fall short.
So our Sunday gatherings are over, and I am reminded of what Susan B. Anthony once said: "Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved. The real milestones are less prepossessing. They come to the door of memory unannounced, stray dogs that amble in, sniff around a bit and simply never leave. Our lives are measured by these." Sunday was another simple event; a time to gather with good friends, good food, and have a good time. And another moment in my life to cherish.