Garden Club Christmas Auction Is Coming, Some Advice

I spent the better part of today cooking for my Garden Club’s Christmas Auction which will be held at my house on Tuesday. It is one of my favorite events every year. 50 members of Hope Valley Garden club and some invited guests come together to raise money for the charitable organizations we support.

I volunteer my house and myself as a hostess every other year, but am the auctioneer every year. I am not alone in this effort. There is a solid team of friends who are my A -team and co-hostesses. This group is not only reliable, but do all the work in the kitchen while I am auctioneering and I have great confidence that they will get the whole lunch on the table and ready the second the auction is over. They have never failed in all the years we have been doing this.

In spite of all this preparation there are always things that come up that throw me off a little. Some are no big deal. Today my friends Lynn and Anne showed up with their auction item, a beautiful fiddle leaf fig. They rightfully thought it was best to bring it here when it is not raining. So now it is waiting in the dining room in a sunny spot.

Earlier this week I got an email from a member wanting to drop off her auction item because she was going out of town. Normally not an issue, but her item was a 9 x 13 inch pan that needed to go in my freezer. She did ask if I had room, but followed it up with, “If you don’t have room, do you know who might?”

I almost spit out my tea when I read that. First asking me to put anything in my freezer during a holiday is a big laugh, let along a 9 x 13 pan, but that is not as absurd as the idea that I have any idea what others have in their freezers.

What I wanted to say is, “ Wait, let me check the freezer cameras I have on all my friend’s freezers.” Not what I said. It was easier to say, “I’ll make it work.” So I reorganized and made room. We agreed on a time she would bring it to me. I waited around two hours and after the time passed got a message that she had an emergency and was not going to bring it at all and instead would donate something else. So glad I did the work to solve the issue.

This is not the first time someone has shown up at my house with something they wanted to put in my fridge or freezer. Don’t do it. If what you bring requires cooling bring your own cooler. I don’t have the space or the time to make room while I am trying to throw a party.

Here is my public service announcement. Never ask me if I have room in my freezer. You are going to get a cheeky answer. If you need to find room in someone else’s freezer, do the work yourself. My network of freezer camera’s is permanently down.