H's birthday party

What a lovely evening for H's party! It was perfectly comfortable sitting outside, even at 10 p.m. when we said good-night and walked home. Highlights: Larry's vegetarian lasagna and a really nice cole slaw; conversing with Sarah H. and also with Chris and Erika, who had just returned after a year in northern Utah; enjoying the 60's rock songs performed by a live band; and later, sitting next to J. in front of the fire pit, watching sparks rise upwards, toward the oak trees silhouetted against the sky. One of the little girls was feeding bits of things to the fire, although when it graduated to full-length fern fronds she was tugging off the nearby plants, we helped put a stop to it. J's amaretto brownies were complimented several times. And then we walked home under the stars.