Bao's Big Bash

Look at me. Do I look like Martha Stewart? I didn’t think so. I have in my possession a book by interior designer Alexandra Stoddard, Living a Beautiful Life. Lord only knows why I thought I could implement ANY of her suggestions ("Make the inside of your refrigerator a feast for the eye...try keeping a small bunch of flowers in the refrigerator. Surprise pleasures delight the most.") The only time flowers would ever make their way into my messy, overstuffed fridge would be if I absent-mindedly put them there instead of on the table. That would indeed be a surprise, if not a delight.

I ascribe to the blitz-clean method before company arrives (you know, shove the pile of newspapers under the sofa,  pray no one needs to use the upstairs bathroom, light some candles and dim all the other lights.) I do not line our drawers with special scented paper. I do not have granite countertops. I do not have a mud room (unless it is raining. Then every room is a mud room.)

So what makes us think we can throw Ya-Jhu a baby shower? Probably the same brand of insanity that made us think we could have a DIY wedding for Yaj and Sher almost two years ago. Back then, while the food and decorations were all loving hands at home, the site of the festivities was Gloria Dei Church--no need to scour and scrub Chez Seyfried! But wait! We had the rehearsal dinner here, a lovely evening of thunderstorms (no chance of being out on the deck)  and 80 degree-plus temps (we have no air conditioning). It all came off fine, but I still awaken in a cold sweat remembering our frantic prep.

 Yet here we are again, mere days away from the Big Event for Bao (Mandarin for baby). Julie, Rose and I are ostensibly co-hosts, but to be honest Julie has done most of the work to date, coming up with the theme, planning the menu. We have the unenviable task of squeezing our guests into our none-too-palatial home, a task made even more challenging by the arrival of Sheridan's grand piano from New York City last week. At this writing, the huge Kawai is sharing the family room with our old Yamaha upright. If we don't move one or the other by Saturday, the shower will have the ambiance of an afternoon in the Jacob's Piano Showroom.

Yaj remains serene, a tiny Asian Madonna. She tells me (often) that she will be happy with whatever we pull together, and I believe her. I want to relax and enjoy the day, truly I do. So I have decided to relegate Living a Beautiful Life to the attic, as we write our own book, Living a Good-Enough Life.

Bao, we’ll do our best for your mom. Can’t wait to see you!

Ya-Jhu, eating for two!