The AAWE Christmas Bazaar, 2010

Last weekend (Dec. 4 & 5) was the annual AAWE Christmas Bazaar. Here I am at my calm station, in the basement, stirring the chile. I've been doing this for years on the snack bar crew. I don't make the chile; I just heat it up to refill the pot being served upstairs. Terry D. used to make the chile during the year and freeze it, but a few years ago she and the organizers decided to stop. Her chile was excellent, but I guess there were questions of responsibility in case of an eventual problem. So, the bazaar organizers did a blind taste test and it was a store-brand can, one of the cheapest available, that came up a winner. My job consists of opening cans and emptying them into the double boilers, rinsing, and then crushing the cans for the recycling bag. Then, stir. And stir. I get to sit down between stirring stints.
Before discovering kitchen duty, I served up at the snackbar. Before that, I used to work on setup day, setting up the books and during the bazaar, selling books. When I started, I was on the children's clothing stand on setup and selling. I love being down in the kitchen; it's less tiring for my back and I enjoy being out of the frenzy of the stands upstairs. I get to chat a little with Carol, the event treasurer, and Michele, who was the main liason this year between upstairs and downstairs, and all the other volunteers who come down to escape for a moment.
I love doing this bazaar thing every year because it's the one time a year I get to see some friends. We catch up on what's happening with our children, and now, grandchildren. We enjoy this annual get-together, even if we now see one another and our goings-on on Facebook. It's wonderful to have a real face-to-face chat.
After my kitchen duty, I went upstairs to buy, but I can't say what here because of certain readers.
I got home and had a couple of hours to rest  before Paul came back from the south with another car-load of things from his mother's apartment. We were much more efficient this time in dispatching the stuff throughout the house. We still need to make room for our sofa, which will be coming back from the upholsterer this week, I hope.