Cynthia
Celestial events are enthralling, and none more so than a total eclipse of the sun (thank you Don McLean). I was privileged to attend the festivities in Jefferson City, Missouri for the total eclipse in 2017. Let me tell you, they did it up right! Breakfast with some astronauts and NASA representatives, concert, street fair, corn maze, and of course, the blackening of the sky at 1:14:19 pm. I have the t-shirt to prove it!
Fast forward to 2024 and I am limited in my ability to travel due to taking care of my mother who is a hospice patient. So I create “parties” as she calls them – small gatherings to celebrate anything and everything to make life as interesting as possible in confinement. What better day to celebrate than on an eclipse day! Where we live, we expect to see 93% of the eclipse, providing the clouds stay away at 1:45 pm.
I was able to download and print on card stock some games from Creations by Touseeq; Enjoy My Printables; and Plan, Print, and Party all from Etsy. AAS certified glasses were ordered from Amazon.
Sun Chips, Eclipse Gum, and Chocolate Covered Sunflower Seeds from Target and Moon Cookie Cakes from Insomnia Cookies rounded out an eclipse-themed menu (see below). Guests included were my aunt and uncle and my cousin. All of us are retired so a Monday luncheon is easy to execute. (I keep the guest list small as mom becomes easily overwhelmed with too much activity.)
A fun little get together to share in a celestial phenomenon that some of us may not see again. One of the many approaches to making life more interesting and giving us something to look forward to. Being creative does not have to mean difficulty. And we are making memories.
2024 Total Eclipse Luncheon
Favors
Eclipse Glasses
Beverages
Sun Tea
Capri Sun
Food
Eclipse [Eggplant] Pizzettes
Crescent Moon Sandwiches[1]
Light and Dark Salad[2]
Celestial Slaw[3]
Sun Chips
Dessert
Moon Cookie cake
Ice Cream planets
[1] Chicken Salad / Tuna Salad / Lunchmeat Build Your Own
[2] Corn and Black Bean Salad
[3] Purple and Green Cabbage Slaw
Silver Sage Sisters 