October 16, 2026
To: Bishop Thomas J. Brown, Stockholm
From: Stephen Brown, Comfort Island
Dear Thomas,
It’s Punkin Chunkin weekend here and yesterday the first guests started arriving. All afternoon, Conor shuttled them across from Keewaydin in the little Lyman. Luckily, the rain had cleared, although the temperature was sliding toward an overnight low in the 30s.
I know it seems foolish to have a big weekend just before leaving, but what the heck. This has been a big summer, with the house full nearly every weekend. It's the proper use for a place this size.
To double down, we planned a dinner party for twenty-two.
Earlier in the day, Brigid and I set the big table for sixteen, along with a smaller table Conor had brought in for six. I'm a big advocate for china, crystal, silver and linen. If you invite someone into your house, I subscribe to giving them the best you have. Otherwise, why have it?
As people arrived, Conor got them started on drinks. The kitchen became a cacophony of excited voices, and before long everyone was pitching in. Paul took charge of the grill. The boys went off to the living room to gossip, while the gals stayed with me to prep.
My secret to dinner parties here is getting as many hands involved as possible. And with the menu we'd planned, there was plenty to do.
We served roast pork, grilled chicken and sausages, with fennel and orange salad, sauerkraut, German potato salad and asparagus. Then came brownies, vanilla ice cream and berries soaked in Cointreau. There was plenty of wine, and finally, limoncello.
Before everyone arrived, Conor, Brody and I created a seating plan. I’m not a fan of couples sitting together- so they had to be separated. Two guys, Matt and Joe had never been here, so we had to put them next to easy talkers. And some of my friends are great conversationalists, some are not. They had to be mixed together. We also had a small table and it had to feel like it was the “little kids table.”
There is nothing that makes me happier than looking around a table and seeing people I love in animated conversation. It's what gives me energy. I think the placement worked- the room had never felt this animated.
People stayed late, and the dishes had to be washed by hand. Eventually, Evan, Jason, Conor and I found ourselves in the kitchen, eating potato chips, drinking wine and recounting the evening.
It was one in the morning when they finally plodded upstairs. I gathered the last glasses from around the house, washed them, and Duke and I collapsed into our little beds in the study.
A perfect night.
Hope you are having a blast in Sweden. Missing you here.
Stephen