As Golden as the Anniversary

Lately my time has been spent in preparation of a huge anniversary party.  About midway through gathering snail mail addresses (think monster Christmas Card list,) having formal invitations printed, deciding on a cake and on the flowers and on the venue, it took on the aroma of a whole wedding.

I had to stop and think what I was doing here.  It seemed like I was having a huge party for myself for something I'd done already 49 times over 49 years.   When I let myself second guess me, I could see that there was no way we were going to get all our friends and relatives to come all the way to the outback of Georgia for a couple of drinks and some nachos, and this encouraged me to continue toward a bit of a gala affair.

Did I mention the retinue of party planners we've accumulated on that list of friends and relatives over the years?  Volunteers popped up from everywhere.  Who I loved before this event but whom I now cherish as thoughtful talented people who work toward creating beauty wherever they go.
Diane Kulish, in case you don't know her, is a delight.  She's like the girlfriend you had in fifth grade who was ready for anything.  Celeste Caudill surpasses all with her impish addition of delightful ideas such as pork crudites, water bottle labels with our old wedding pictures on it.  Gayle Horne, Terri Tragasser, Jeanne Tompkins supplied glassware, dishes, silverware, gorgeous serving trays and chafing dishes from their own homes and turned a plain old (but beloved) building into fairyland with gold tablecloths, covered chairs, trays and trays of cute foods.  Blankets of flowers reigned over the food tables and spread across the visiting tables like little blankets.  It smelled like an inside garden.

A raft of loved ones, Kate Brandt, Kirstin Pedersen, and the genius of Lorin Small threw  together fifty of these labeled bottles about an hour before the event.  Lording over all, presided a "wedding" cake filled with raspberry and ten gorgeous flower arrangements to die for, and a hundred of our best friends.  I didn't even know I HAD a hundred best friends.

Kate and Kirstin and Lorin also compiled old pictures from our albums for a slideshow that continued during the party at the Bowen Center for the Arts, such as these below.

Since after all our years we have friends from all over the universe, one of which is an ordained minister, we considered renewing our vows.  Then decided that should remain a one-time occasion, just as this one should.

We had a renewal of love and fun which everybody brought as a gift we will never forget.

When the pictures come in I'll post a few.