Vonda at Fifty

Friday, August 28, 1998
One year ago: Pioneers and All

I got the mail a few days ago, that Vonda was celebrating her fiftieth birthday tonight, with cake and ice cream. Yay!

I arrived at the same time as Jon Singer and Marcia G-----, and spent a few minutes with them on the sidewalk. We were admiring the unusual plant choices at one of the houses on the street. They had a vine that Jon actually couldn't recognize! It had three-lobed leaves, and flowers structured like a freesia, but changing from pale yellow in the bud to bright scarlet in the blooms that were full-blown. Any ideas from that description?

When I walked inside there was the usual last-minute flurry of preparation going on, with folks bringing out the cakes, napkins, ice cream, spoons, glasses and all. There were gorgeous flowers on the coffee table, with those rubrum lilies that I love so much. There is no other scent like that, sweet and sexy and almost too strong.

I was so happy to see Jane and Luke! I've missed them at recent Vanguards. Luke and I talked about his plans for Burning Man, and I told him about recent journal happenings, including my new webring affiliation. I want to go to Burning Man next year! My fear of the physical ordeal is all that holds me back. I don't want to be fried in the desert!

I showed Kate, one of my most faithful readers, the new earrings I was wearing, since she had read about my purchase at the Fremont Sunday Market. I also talked with Denys and Karrie about dance stuff. It's been too long since I've been dancing with them! I think I told the story of last Saturday night about four times, by request. The Leslie$ part of it fascinated folks, and Jim is known to some of them too.

Andy Hooper and I talked about the lifestyle changes he's been making to handle a health problem, and the expansion of his collectible game dealing business to handle specialty books. I promised to send him a pointer to my friend Earl's book business on the web.

Vonda opened her presents. She got some great stuff, very thoughtful and creative gifts. Here she is holding a package containing a lavender-stuffed silken eye pillow. So luxurious!

A large group of folks got together to get a fountain made from a large ceramic bowl.

The bowl was filled with smooth stones, including some mysterious egg-shaped ones that reflected the light in a very strange way. Scott Scidmore said it was the same phenomenon as an opal. They don't really glow, but the light bends around and looks like it's coming from behind.

One of the most special presents was a chain and pendant, designed and crafted by Laurie Edison, of a mermaid. This relates to Vonda's Nebula-award winning novel, The Moon and the Sun. What a beautiful, strange object!

I had orginally thought about going out dancing after the festivities, but of course I was having too much fun to leave, and we kept talking till late.

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