"After Dinner", also called "The Dinner Party" 1911, Jules Alexandre Grün. Oil on Canvas

I attended three fine dinner parties in the last three nights, an unusual social explosion in my somewhat Spartan and solitary life. On Thursday I gathered with my best of all friends and enjoyed a completely relaxed evening. I feel almost like part of the family in this house, and it’s a good family to be involved with. They all (including the little two-year-old) appreciate the benefits of laughter and light-heartedness, and they also appreciate superb food, which the lady of the house unfailingly prepares. On Friday night, I joined an interesting mixture of friends at a house on the beach, where we had an astonishing view of the ocean from the porch. We mingled and chatted, and then sat at a long, elegantly-set table for a dinner that almost rivaled the one of the previous night. I felt honored throughout the evening, because it was obvious that the hostess had gone out of her way to make all of us feel like privileged and special people. Then last night I joined another family at a celebration for their son who is establishing a name for himself in serious acting circles. The evening’s weather was charmingly cool, so we talked and ate outside as dusk came on. Again, the food was splendid, but the good conversation and friendship was even better.