Birthday Party

"Dear guests, I'm so glad to see you all here for my mother's birthday. Last year we got together for her Metinės (death anniversary), and I know that's typical in Lithuania, but I haven't been comfortable with it--if her life is something to salute, why would we gather on the saddest day of it? We decided we want to get Vaiva's friends and family together every year to celebrate the greatness of her life and share memories in a joyous setting, a party. From now on we will meet at the end of August; we just did it a bit early this year so Liepa and Lokys would still be here." [So we'll just do it when somebody shows up, somebody said, to chuckles] "Yes! and that takes me to my final point. My mother gave me the idea to do this because family was so important to her, and although you meet family at a somber Metinės, you don't make friends with them, so you don't grow closer as an extended family. But here we can have fun and make friends, and that's something that would make my mother very happy. I've already met two new cousins today! I hope I can say that every year after this party. Į sveikatą!"

A silence followed the cheering and gulping, so the speech spontaneously went on an addendum to explain the food on the table that needed explaining, which was fried chicken, an American delicacy, stuffed mushrooms, pitas and guacamole, and other self explanatory treats. A good 40 people attended, all but one of them family. Marytė Speičienė was the only guest of Mama's colleagues. They're all on vacation in August, and most of them go abroad or someplace farther away in Lithuania. Next year it will be more, because we'll do it on the 27th and most people will be back from their vacations. And we'll get the invitations out earlier. I didn't realize what a high percentage of people plan trips for their vacations--for the past six years most of my trips have been business and I stay put for the summer.

I got many compliments on the food, and by the end all my chicken was gone (I'm lucky I got one piece out out seventy something). But the qualified Gaja Stirbytė's praise takes the cake: "This is the best fried chicken I've had even in America." When I told her I put old potato chip flakes into the breading it seemed a moment of revelation for her: "You are so wise," she said. Lokys thought that was hilarious. Why can't I be wise?

After the lunch some people went to chill in Alfonsas and Silvijas place, a few stayed inside to keep the chicken company, but the vast majority went to the pool, and eventually *into* the pool, which was a success.

After that some people had already started to play ping pong on the table outside, so the young adults joined them. The less young adults continued their chat in the coolness of casa de Lipnickai for a good while until finally the last guests, Valdas Vėbra's and Antanas Račiūnas's families decided to head home.

The only thing anybody was disappointed about was the absence of James B. Gust! I was surprised by the number of people who asked if he was attending. Maybe next year.