Sowing Seeds on My Birthday

Laissez les bon temps rouler and stick those checks in the flower pots on the mantlepiece, y'all! I'm in my "philanthropic forties" and thus I threw a Mardi Gras Happy Birthday Happy Hour and asked my friends to again to make contributions to four of my favorite queer causes. Because our economy is so lousy, I didn't want to push people too hard on this.

But still, my buddies are big-hearted generous people, and I was able to raise more than $600 for Queer As Faust, This Way Out, PFLAG, and Impact Tallahassee. Not too shabby for a time when many people are holding onto their hats in a city that has a populace that is very afraid of potential state government lay-offs. Thanks for sowing the seeds of equality, my friends!

In exchange for their generousity, my partner, Isabelle, worked tirelessly to prepare two big pots of Gumbo and Red Beans and Rice...

Witness the delicacies that awaited my friends. The two pots of two epicurean favorites of New Orleans were big hits with our guests. Many were able to get seconds, and still have plenty of room for the King's Cake!

Two King's Cakes somehow managed to feed the 50 or so people who were in the room when we commenced with a glorious rendition of "Happy Birthday". I have to admit, I was a little worried at first because I wasn't sure if there would be enough to feed everyone. But, amazingly, I experienced a bit of that "loaves and fishes" magic, and--presto!--everyone was fed Kings Cake, and there was even an extra slice for moi, the birthday girl!

So it was quite a fun evening. My dear friends, Diana and Matt, were a tremendous help again...especially in the Mardi Gras bead department (one has to wonder how Diana got all those beads??) And I am now the star of a comic book! I will post on that at another time...mayhaps tomorrow.

For now, Happy Valentine's Day or Lupercalia...or Frederick Douglass Day...or Cyril and Methodius Day.....or just plain ol' Happy Birthday, Susan!