Birthday Flowers

Summer vacay (you know the little vacation I have going on in my head that is that summertime state of mind) is coming to an end and I'm going to start hunkering down for the winter. Got to get a little disciplined. The new merchandise is coming in at breakneck speed. And we're doing our fall reset. And that's fun .Lots of candles and tea, and gloves, and cozy clothes. Then there's massive amounts of food (and fruit flies) at home that want's to be dried or canned or frozen. And that's kind of fun too (except for the fruit flies). And I want to get back to blogging. Plus I'm in a strong nesting mood. Un peu overwhelmed.

But the days have been warmer and on one of the last of summers evenings, we all headed over to Alison's House for a summer birthday party for yours truly, celebrating my 55th. It's a speed limit kind of thing my friend tells me - the 55th year. And though it was weeks ago, between travels and wedding work and general busyness, in a better late than never fashion, and devil may care, we shall celebrate when we can and how we please, we sat under an outside garden room which had an arbor dripping with grapes ( no joke, you looked up and there were green grapes hanging everywhere) and the walls were various kind of dahlias - in such a room we dined on tamales and fresh corn and greens and later we (I think there were eight of us) ate peach pie by candlelight. And it all felt faintly Dionysian. And I got world's loveliest bouquet in world's loveliest container for a present. Which all made me feel deeply contented and happy. And then Becky snapped a photo of me with a purple dahlia floating above my head.  Happy end of summer to us all.