I proposed a new challenge at JORO the beginning of September.
Remember JORO dinners are the dinners of my family of three with my friend Sam’s family of three. These are lively, fantastic weekly dinners where tough subjects are tackled, humour is high and support is huge. Did I forget to mention the food? How foolish. It is abundant, delicious and to quote Sam, “Every meal a banquet.”
While I love some routine, sameness can make me stale, so I wondered how amazing it would be to bring new people into our lives once a week at minimum.
The challenge is that every week one of us must bring an interesting and unexpected guest to dinner. In the spring we had a famous Canadian author and her new baby. Earlier this fall we had my younger daughter’s new friend, Grace, from Uganda, whose life story resembles nothing any of us could possibly imagine. When I tell you that everything that comes out of any of our mouths around her is ridiculous in juxtaposition with her experience- it is an understatement. She seems to love us anyway.
I told them if they don’t get clever and get hopping I will start inviting all their teachers and the head of the school- a woman who keeps mentioning family/ fathers in the same sentence. I want to show her what we have come up with and that – to use an old favourite phrase-that our families are not broken. And that we have an amazing and incredible thing.
Apparently many of the girls in my daughters’ classes want to attend a JORO dinner. These dinners have become a little famous and legendary.
The other day I said to a friend “We had such an interesting night at ours last night” and she said “Nance, all of your nights are interesting” and I thought- she is sort of right. No wonder I am tired.
Wednesdays can be a little bit of a hump for some which is why “look who is coming to dinner” is a Wednesday intitiative.
Stay tuned – we will tell you about the most interesting nights to come.
If any of you would like to attend you must be
charming,
funny,
interesting
and unexpected.
And naturally you must do everything you can to flatter the chefs. In fact you must flatter for your feast. No kiss ass, no quiche. No toast, no roast. No “Ah, sooo beautiful“, no Osso Bucco.
Please RSVP as soon as possible and form a line to the left.
We are booking into Winter 2012.
Sign me up!! 🙂
🙂
listen chickie, you are a party and you bring it wherever you go. You can swing by any day yo the JORO cafe.
do it patti! threaten to invite all your ex boyfriends if your teens don’t deliver!
I would LOVE to come to a JORO dinner-party. Or ANY party! Man, I do so love a party… and my compliments to the chef(s) will flow like wine, Village – believe it!!
What a great idea! The JORO dinner idea reminds me of a Nikki McClure print I have hanging in my kitchen titled “Share your table”….I can’t wait to give it a try! Fall is a perfect time to open our homes, share a meal, conversation, laughter and bringing light into the darker months of the year. Hopefully I can get my teens on-board with the idea!
I’m good any Wednesday night!!!
exactly beth! See it as an opportunity!
Nancy I love this idea! Coming off Thanksgiving, and starting to think about Xmas, has me feeling blue and wishing I had 10 siblings to fill my house with uncles and aunts and kids of all sizes. The story of your JORO dinners makes me realize that we can build our own extended family! That’s it. Next Wednesday- potluck at my house!
You are the perfect candidate actually- send me a few dates, Sara. Let’s do it
I WANT IN!!!!!! I always flatter chefs….I’m told I can be funny….please invite me.