20 July 2009

Sunday Potlucking Liberally?

Hey, local Drinking Liberally folks (and other local friends),

As many of you know, I spent the 1990s as a hippie. I even lived in an almost-commune for a few years. Now, if I liked living in an almost-commune, I'd've stayed there, or I'd've settled in Powelton Village when I came back to the East Coast. But one thing I actually have truly missed from those years is getting together with like-minded people and friends on a regular basis for shared meals.

At the commune, it was called "common meals" and we shared them in a large, commonly owned, dedicated building. Cooking duties rotated through the households, and if you weren't slated to cook or clean up, you paid your cash dues, ate heartily, put your plate away, and went home. Three times per week.

I don't want to do anything like that. I'm thinking of just an ordinary potluck: everybody brings a dish to serve about 4 people; if you can bring a bottle or a sixpack as well, please do; and the host provides dishes, flatware, and cleanup (though guests are welcome to help out). Especially among the local Drinking Liberally crowd and their family, friends, and loved ones, would anyone be interested?

One problem, though, is that my home is small -- I've crammed myself, my daughter, and too much stuff into a 2-bedroom apartment. I can host a potluck only if people don't mind eating on the sofa or an Ikea lounge chair or a gnarly 1970 Herculon club chair salvaged from my parents' basement. So I hesitate to say, "Hey, guys! Let's have a potluck," when I have to add, "But we have to have it at somebody else's house!"

As for logistics, I guess we can rotate homes every week. On each Friday, I can post here to let everyone know -- without posting addresses -- where we'll be meeting the next Sunday, or we could take that part to private e-mail. As for what day of the week, I think Sunday evening would be good. That way, you can start something in your Crock-Pot that morning and it'll be done by the afternoon, or you can get something prepared from the supermarket when you do your grocery shopping that day anyway, or (at least in the summer) you can hit a farmer's market and put together something fresh and local.

Takers?

2 comments:

Frank said...

It actually sounds like a great idea to me. But my time in this part of the world is limited, so my opinion is irrelevant.

John said...

I'd be down for that. I wouldn't be able to make it too regular, what with my busy jetsetting lifestyle, but I'd be down to host one.