King for a Day!

To steal a quote from B.P. "Clean-up's a Bitch!" Thank goodness we recently renewed our supply of glasses; three dozen guests stretched our glassware and cutlery supplies to the limit. By the end of the afternoon the latecomers were resorting to drinking red wine from champagne glasses. It is surprising how disconcerting that looked.
The weather was unexpectedly kind to us with sunshine, instead of the forecast blustery rain. I had prepared a stack of sun hats and sweaters so that guests could adapt to be comfortable whatever the climate.
The upper shelf of the barbecue failed early on, under the weight of the sixteen pound piece of beef we were grilling, but I caught it as it was sliding down and moved it to the next shelf with only a small burn-blister on one finger. Phew!
New recipe for aubergine/egg plant and tomatoes seasoned with fresh ginger and served topped with chilled yogurt and cilantro was very yummy and satisfied some vegetarian friends, as did the gratin of potatoes. We had green salad and beetroot salad for the eyes as well as the palate and a cheese course followed by the inevitable cakes.
Hubby was truly "King for a Day", surrounded by family and friends. He beamed from start to finish and woke up still smiling this morning.