Yesterday Nyel and I celebrated “25 Years of Fun and Games.”  Since we had been married here in our garden all those years ago at one of our Oysterville Croquet and Champagne Galas, we decided to replicate (more or less) the event.  In this case, though, the party wasn’t a fund-raiser and there was no competitive play.  Just fun, fun, fun!

We did set up the three traditional croquet courts.  We provided appetizers and champagne.  There was the requisite tent and spectator seating.  The garden looked spectacular (thanks, Mary Fluiatt!), the house was clean and orderly (thanks, Tidy-by-the-Sea!) and the balloons wafted in the breeze.  Friends and loved ones came in droves and even the weather cooperated.  We loved every minute of it.

And, of course, there were the back stories…  I have to say that, over the years, Nyel and I have given a lot of great parties.  Occasionally, we have hired a bartender but we’ve never had any other professional help.  This time, however, mostly in a concession to our flagging youth, we decided not to do it all ourselves.  We contacted a party rental concern from afar and a caterer from nearer-by.

Two or three days before the Big Celebration, the rental people called, full of apologies, to say that they had had a bit of a disaster and of the 180 champagne flutes we had ordered, 70 had been broken.   There was not time for them to get replacements.  We called our local catering service and they were able to fill in.  (Yay!  Buy local!)

Then, on the “morning of” the owner of our favorite bakery drove up with her cake decorator.  “What?” I asked.  “Did I forget to sign the check?”

“Just don’t say a word,” was the reply.  “Where’s the cake?”

Somehow there had been a “frosting misprint” and quick-as-a-wink the erroneous ‘1985’ was corrected to ‘1987’ and the two women were out the door and gone.  We had not even noticed the mistake and the fact that they did, and made a special trip to correct it, was way beyond the call as far as we are concerned!

There were other funny things, too.  Like when the balloon lady delivered the balloons with the news that seven had popped on the way and then accidently let go of two more as she was telling us about it.  And like when I put on my new spiffy blouse and discovered that the heavy security tag had not been clipped off.  I still have my receipt but, even so, I felt vaguely like I was wearing stolen goods!

In fact, I think we’ll have stories to remember (if we can) for the next twenty-five years.  And, if not, we’ll have the pictures to enjoy and comment about.  Like the photos of our fabulous friends from Seattle – Dick Hawes and Linda Johnson, Jean Stewart and Te Davis her friend Sandy – who came a few days early to help!  Like the one of Barbara Bailey’s two-year old granddaughter getting the hang of croquet.  Or the photo of our erstwhile bridesmaid, Gordon Schoewe, tearing up a bit during his wonderful recounting of our surprise wedding all those years ago.  And like the pictures of our friends, the Rose City Mixed Quartet, who came all the way from Portland and then serenaded us with “Embraceable You!”

Yesterday was truly a day to remember.   We are blessed!