[open] happy birthday baby!
Though the banners stretched across the back porch don't read "HAPPY 117TH, DOROTHY!", they're still accurately festive, in a birthday sort of way. Balloons are staked down everywhere, but every so often they're stolen or released by mischievous children belonging to farm workers and their families. People are playing volleyball, kicking around soccer balls, playing catch. Open tents are set up where people mill around sampling finger foods and chips and dip, where older guests sit in lawn chairs in the shade. Men and women mill around by the beer trailer and the bonfire, talking and laughing and enjoying themselves.
Dorothy herself makes the rounds, shaking hands and hugging babies and making sure everybody's got a cup of some kind of liquid refreshment, making sure they all know where the bathrooms are, directing people to the food and telling them where to put their barbecueables. Every so often someone brings a birthday card or small gift, which gets passed to Aunt Em, who is rather bemused to note she's apparently in charge of the gifts as well as the food. Well, all the food that Uncle Henry isn't in charge of-- since he's the BBQ Master for the day, after all.
Other than having to chase down a dog or two and keeping the puppies out of the food tent, things are going smoothly! Almost suspiciously smoothly.
Well, at least people are having fun.
[[IT'S DOROTHY'S BIRTHDAY! Everyone is invited to drop by the barbeque and indulge in a hotdog and mingle. If you're not sure if you're invited, you probably are. Threadhopping and nonsense is encouraged, if not mandatory. C'MON DOWN TO THE FARM, Y'ALL.]]
Dorothy herself makes the rounds, shaking hands and hugging babies and making sure everybody's got a cup of some kind of liquid refreshment, making sure they all know where the bathrooms are, directing people to the food and telling them where to put their barbecueables. Every so often someone brings a birthday card or small gift, which gets passed to Aunt Em, who is rather bemused to note she's apparently in charge of the gifts as well as the food. Well, all the food that Uncle Henry isn't in charge of-- since he's the BBQ Master for the day, after all.
Other than having to chase down a dog or two and keeping the puppies out of the food tent, things are going smoothly! Almost suspiciously smoothly.
Well, at least people are having fun.
[[IT'S DOROTHY'S BIRTHDAY! Everyone is invited to drop by the barbeque and indulge in a hotdog and mingle. If you're not sure if you're invited, you probably are. Threadhopping and nonsense is encouraged, if not mandatory. C'MON DOWN TO THE FARM, Y'ALL.]]