LOL! We played this game.

If you could have a private dinner with any five presidents, whom would you pick.

We played this game last year, remember? In fact, we started the game on February 18, 2013. Here's the game board I made the next day. It still sits in the dining room.

Here's a snippet of conversation from near the end of the right side of Table 1:

Sam Colt (Mr. Big Food): The good people in this world are very far from being satisfied with each other and my arms are the best peacemaker. [Samuel Colt, 1852]

John Ford (Mr. Big Food): Be careful or you'll blow yer brains out. [from Ford's Wagon Master (1950), spoken by character Travis Blue (played by Ben Johnson)]

Robert E. Lee (A. Leland) I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself.

Martin Luther King, Jr. (Marica): ... and repeatedly asked ourselves the questions: "Are you able to accept blows without retaliating?" "Are you able to endure the ordeals of jail?" [Letter form a Birmingham Jail]

Thomas Jefferson (Marica): All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately, by the grace of God. [Thomas Jefferson letter to Roger C. Weightman dated June 24, 1826]

C.S. Lewis (Daughter C): If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning.

Ayn Rand (Marica): We made it. We created it. We brought it forth from the night of the ages. We alone. Our hands. Our mind. Ours alone and only. We know not what we are saying. Our head is reeling. We look upon the light which we have made. We shall be forgiven for anything we say tonight. . . . [written by "Equality 7-2521," the main character of Rand's novella Anthem (1938)]

Dinner Games

"Why thank you, my dear Miss M. I do so appreciate your affection. I was just reading a bit about manners and the enjoyment of a fine meal. I know my behavior of late has been... shall I say, less than admirable. So sorry about that pork chop, by the way. I gave into temptation. It will never happen again. You have my word! Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to reading what Emily has to say about the napkin."

Mr. Big Food proposed to me today! He proposed we begin enjoying our evening meals at the dining table. I accepted! All are invited to join us, but participation is strictly voluntary.

Now that the Still Summer Season is over and we're no longer dining on the patio, we've fallen into the habit of eating in the living room-- with the television on. Disgraceful. I know. So I welcomed Mr. Big Food's proposal.

Tonight I set the table. We enjoyed a fine meal of a delicious Tex-Mex pork loaf served with salsa made from tomatillos and green tomatoes (picked right before the freeze) and fresh cilantro,  cleared the table, and chatted. We had a raucous discussion about 'Pilgrims' vs. 'Puritans' 

and then the conversation turned to table manners.

And games. How can they turn dining etiquette and enjoyment of good food into a game? They kicked around a lot of good ideas about readings and quizzes and point scoring. And comprehensive exams. 

It will be a short game, played at Sunday Supper. Each of us will "host" one play. 

It's been agreed there will be no meal police. Shouts of, "A. Leland's elbows are on the table! He looses points!!" have no place in the enjoyment of a fine meal.

More details to come.