35th Birthday Party
For my 35th birthday, my friends threw me a party. I can't remember the last time I had a birthday party I didn't organize. :-) (In fact, I can't remember ever having one I didn't organize, though I'm sure I must have at some point.) So I wouldn't see them getting ready, I hid up in the tv room upstairs and watched Monk and Psych while they made lots of noise downstairs. To lovely result:
A table full of yummy food I didn't have to cook! Irises, my favorite flower. :-)
Nilofer's amazing cucumber-fennel soup, with flowers floating in it. Served in her fancy soup tureen, because she thought I was a tureen kind of girl. Which I am. Lovely single-purpose frivolous dining serveware. I loves it.
Sujata and Veena, me and Nilofer.
Beth, me, Lakshmi, Matt; Shashi, Mirna, Zara.
Mirna and baby Zara. Oh, so cute. And she (Zara, that is) only howled a little during the party...
We had mango-raspberry cake -- and actually got Kevin in a few photos...
Lakshmi and Matt, Manish.
Many brown girls. Mirna, baby Zara, Shruthi, Nilofer, me, Aparna, Lakshmi, Veena, Sujata, Purvi. We did apologize to the others present for our taking such a racist, sexist photo. :-)
Also present at the party, not pictured: Heather, Aaron, David L., Nikhil.
In addition to eating (too much yummy food to name, though Mirna's chicken tagine does stand out) and drinking (mango margaritas and mojitos, courtesy Lakshmi), there was talking and laughing and showing Manish around the apartment and garden, which he was duly impressed by. :-) And at the end, we had an excellent game of Encore. Our team got an early lead, but Mirna's team caught up when we were stuck in the difficult last stage -- they almost had the win, but missed by one, and we came surging triumphantly back with a card that I modestly note I pretty much nailed almost entirely on my own. Though, admittedly, Nikhil and Purvi were carrying the team for most of the game. :-) A triumphant end to a terrific party...and my guests packed up all the food and loaded the dishwasher before they left. Perfect.
i had a great time at the party, mary anne. after such an exhausting weekend, it was great chilling and relaxing with friends. happy birthday!